John Jay Papers
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https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jay/01-01-02-0424

From John Jay to Robert R. Livingston, 25 October 1779

To Robert R. Livingston

on Board the Confederacy near Reedy Island
25 Octr. 1779

Dear Robt

Accept my Thanks for your very friendly Letter—1 It recalled to my Mind many Circumstances on which it always dwells with Pleasure. I should have been happy in a personal Interview before my Departure, but since that has become impossible, let us endeavour to supply it by a regular and constant correspondence. To render this the more useful & satisfactory a Cypher will be necessary— There are twenty six Letters in our Alphabet—take twenty six numbers in Lieu of them thus.

a b c d e f g h I j k l m
5 6 7 11 13 8 9 10 12 14 16 19 22
n o p q r s t u v w x y z
1 2 3 4 15 23 25 26 24 20 21 18 17

Remember in writing in this way to place a, after each number, and a; or: or a — after each Word. This will prevent Confusion— It will be unnecessary to write a whole Letter in Cypher—so many Words in Cypher as will blind the Sense will be sufficient, and more safe, as a Discovery will thereby be rendered more difficult.2 God bless you I am your afft. Friend

John Jay

My best wishes to all the Family.

ALS, NHi: Livingston (EJ: 801). Addressed: “The Hon’ble / Robert R. Livingston Esqr. / Chancellor of the State of New York / Clearmont / Philadelphia”. Endorsed.

2This is a monoalphabetic substitution cipher later used by Livingston in his letter to JJ of 10 Feb. 1780, ALS, NNC (EJ: 6865). See Ralph E. Weber, United States Diplomatic Codes and Ciphers, 1775–1938 (Chicago, 1979), 37, which catalogs this cipher as WE074.

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