I have received yours of the 5th Novr & a Duplicate of it.1 I sincerely thank you for this only Favor I have received. Your Laconick Style has not forsaken you. Congress have by the same Opportunity which brought this Letter of the 5th Novr. received some of a much later Date.2

I suppose it was Deane who wrote to you from France about the Loss of my Leg. This Acct is facetious. Let it pass. The Leg is gone and there is an End of the Matter. Thank you most heartily for your Condolance & I pray you to say every Thing to Mrs Jay and the Coll. for me which I ought to say.

Lee is where he ought to be. I mean as to the public Estimation Connections have done and will do nothing for him. Dean may complain of Duplicity and perhaps justly but he should recollect that it is his own Character to which may be added avarice. He and I had no difference. There are Men in the World who think they can dupe the World. They themselves become the Dupes of this Idea and then they are enraged simply because they are undeceived. You and I have seen such Men. The Bargain abt masts which you mention is a Thing which I would advise you to give yourself no Concern about. Leave such Things to the Principles which give Birth to them.

That Intelligence of the Embassador by no means surprizes me. How can it be otherwise? That you should want the same is equally natural for Congress has not yet made provision for it.3

I do not bury my Talents as you suppose. And yet let me tell you I know no Soil where I would so soon chuse to dig them a Grave. I understand clearly your Meaning. You would urge me to public Life. Take my decided Answer. I will neither seek for nor avoid it. Yet I beleive I am not an useless Citizen even at present.4

I have written to you three Letters which I should be sorry you did not receive. One of the 2d Jany. one the 4th March and one the 31st March5 Among other Reasons why I wish they in particular may come to Hand is this that they are not in Cypher consequently no Duplicates.

Robert Morris is our Financier and will probably write to you on that Subject.6 I lament very much the Loss of your little Infant, chiefly on Mrs Jay’s Account. You have more Vigor of Mind than to sink under Misfortunes. Present to her my tenderest Condolances. Comfort her. There is one thing indispensible, six million Dollars at least must be landed here by the Spanish Court. This I say is indispensible & I mean that the Word should be taken in its fullest Force. Your Brother (Sir James) has been at Phila. last Summer (as you heard) He has continued here untill the present Moment. His Silence does not surprize me.7 Nil mirari,8 is an useful Maxim even to a private Citizen. Our Friend Livingston writes me that he has recd no Letters from you and that he is surprized at it. I am not.

We have no News worth Writing to you. Cornwallis a few Days after the Action of which I enclosed you an Account in my Letter of the 31st of March decamped in the Night and marched very rapidly for Wilmington by the Way of Cross Creek. A few Hour’s Stay would have exposed him to an Attack. He left his sick and wounded. Green pursued. He came up to a small River (I am not certain about the Name of it) just as Cornwallis had crossed it. He would have still pursued and have completed the Ruin of his Lordship but the Time of the Virginia Militia was out and they quitted him. Cornwallis went on to Wilmington. He will not carry 1500 men with him. Green has since that Period marched into South Carolina with abt 1500 all continentals and crossed the Pedee River. I think he is between Cambden and Charles town and will be there joined by Genl. Marian and some excellent Militia perhaps a thousand. He will then act according to Circumstances. Should he be able to carry the Posts of Cambden and ninety-six he may be soon strong enough to detach to Augusta and the Taking of that will confine the Enemy to Charlestown and Savanna for the Post at George Town will I dare say be called in. It is not impossible that Green may attempt Charlestown. It is garrisoned by about 400 British and 800 Hessians besides Sailors Tories, &c., &c. 1000 are sufficient to stand the Assault of 10,000. Yet the Attempt would probably succeed for the british and Hessians have a bad Understanding together & the Tories have lately been disarmed on Suspicions Cornwallis may either be reinforced or transported to Charlestown by Water. Neither will enable him to do much. The Climate alone will soon forbid very active Operations. The Enemy are scourging the Virginians at least those of lower Virginia.9 This is distressing but it will have some good Consequences. In the Mean Time the Delegates of Virginia make as many Lamentations as ever Jeremiah did and to as good Purpose perhaps.

I am very sorry that you contend for the navigation. In my Letter of the 2d Jany I was very full on that Subject.10 To every Thing I have said or can say let me add our want of money. This is an Article which you must insist on having. It must not be meerly asked as a favor but required as a Right. One Thing I will also mention which I think will give you Pleasure. Your masters all applaud you.11 Adieu.