George Washington Papers

To George Washington from James Warren, 5 August 1775

From James Warren

Watertown [Mass.] Augt 5. 1775

Sir

I am Just Informed that Mr Benja. Hitchburne A Young Gentn from Philadelphia has been Intercepted by A Capt. of one of the Men of War at Newport. who took from him two Letters to your Excellency, & one to Me. what they Contained I cant say—they have sent him A Prisoner to Boston and the Bearer says he is now in Goal there.1 I could Wish any Method could be devised for his Liberation. he is A Native of Boston. & by profession A Lawyer. I am Sir with the Greatest Respect Your Excellencys Most Obedt Humbe Servt

Jas Warren

ALS, DLC:GW.

1For a discussion of Benjamin Hichborn’s capture by Capt. James Ayscough of the British sloop Swan, see GW to Hancock, 4–5 Aug. 1775, n.34. Only one letter to GW is known to have been taken with Hichborn: that of 21–24 July 1775 from Benjamin Harrison. See the source note for that document. The letter to Warren that fell into British hands was the one that John Adams wrote to him on 24 July 1775. See Taylor, Papers of John Adams description begins Robert J. Taylor et al., eds. Papers of John Adams. 17 vols. to date. Cambridge, Mass., and London, 1977–. description ends , 3:89–93.

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