The negative put by Congress on my request to avail myself of Capt Tolty’s friendship and Sir Henry Clintons kindness throws me into the most serious distress—when I wrote from Elizabeth Town to Colonel Butler on this subject supposing him to be at N. York, I had reason to believe that the only difficulty I shoud have to combat with woud arise from Sir Henry Clinton, not from Congress, as I coud have no notion that the drawing hard money from New York coud be prejudicial to this Continent indeed the greater the portion of my property I coud procure the greater I thought woud be the advantage to America who are bound by their Representatives in Congress to indemnify me for my fortune according to the estimate I gave in, (which is sevral thousand pounds less than what it at present really is) shoud it be confiscated—in this idea instead of three hundred pounds I shoud have drawn for three thousand, if I had thought there had been any chance of obtaining it—1 this was likewise the idea of Mr Morris and I think one or two more members of Congress to whom I mentioned my intention—and I confess I was agreeably surprizd when General Leslie2 informd me by a note that S. H. Clinton consented to it particularly as I remember when I was Prisoner3 at N. York I was not sufferd to send out £50 to an Aid de Camp of mine who happened at that time to be in great necessity—but be this as it may, I thought that if I coud obtain this sum or a greater I at least coud not disserve the Continent and certainly very essentially serve myself— I did it in the openest manner, the bills were drawn in the presence of General Maxwell and the letter accompanying these bills read by that Gentleman—as my distress is therefore very serious from the want of means to furnish my farm I once more entreat Congress to grant me this indulgence, but if They possibly cannot consent consistently with any rules They may have laid down,—that They will advance me that sum in hard money and make me an accountant for it to be repayd in the same species at a future day—for to confess the truth if I am put under the necessity of purchasing the necessary hands for my farm ^at this instant^ in continental money as it at present goes, which I am confident must be good in the end— I shoud be ruind—and on the other hand without the necessary hands, as I observd before, I have no means of subsistance I hope on this occasion there can be no impropriety in mentioning my circumstances—when from an ardent zeal for the rights of America, and as I thought of mankind, I embarkd in this cause. I was possesd if not of an ample, at least of a very easy fortune for a private Gentleman—give me leave enter into the detail of it—1stly I had £480 pr annum on a mortgage in Jamaica which was punctually paid—2dly an estate in Middlesex of £200 pr annum for another Person’s life but which was insurd against my own—3dly one thousand pounds on a County turnpike security at four pr cent—4thly £1500 at five pr cent on bond—5thly my half pay £136 pr annum—besides this about twelve hundred pounds in my Agents and in different debts—in all my clear income besides this money at command was about nine hundred and forty pounds pr annum— I had likewise ten thousand acres of land in the Island of St Johns which had been settled and located at the expence of seven or eight hundred pounds a mandamus for twenty thousand more in East Florida and a claim as half pay field Officer who had servd the last War in America, in any part of the new lands either on the Ohio Missisipi or West Florida—lastly eight hundred Ducats pr annum my table lodging and provisions for my horses as Aid de Camp General to his Majesty of Poland whenever I chose to reside in that Country—thus such was the fortune and income which I stak’d on the die of American Liberty, and I playd a losing game—for I might lose all and had no prospect or wish to better it— What is my present situation?—in the first place I was struck off the half pay list— My Jamaican Mortgagee who is a Creature of the Ministry has protested my bills—it is not certain whether my Agent has receiv’d any rents from the Middlesex estate—this is the reason I woud not chuse to draw upon him unless my bills are endorsd as Capt Tolty now at N. York offers to do. He knows that He can be no sufferer as my Sister who is rich will at any rate indemnify him £1500 has indeed been remitted to this Country and put out to interest in S. Carolina—4 but of interest of this I have never yet receivd one farthing and if I was to receive it at present it woud be of little or no value—so that in fact from near a thousand pounds a year clear income (an income which coud not have been impaird had the tyrannical schemes of the Ministry succeeded. so that my predicament is singular) from an income of near one thousand pound a year from my zeal for this Country I am reducd to nothing at all, to absolute beggary—it is true the Congress advancd me a sum for the purchase of my farm—5 but unless I am furnishd with the means of putting this farm in some order— I had better or at least shoud be full as well without it— I therefore most earnestly intreat Congress either to permit to draw this money from N. York whilst it is in my power or to give me an order for that sum in hard money—tho in my opinion the former woud be the more advantageous—and if there is any objection from the precedent, I hope the great peculiarity of my case may obbiate it— I am, Sir, with the greatest respect Your Most obedt humble Servt