1From Alexander Hamilton to James Duane, 28 August 1779 (Hamilton Papers)
I with pleasure snatch a moment agreeable to your request to inform you of the events which have taken place since you left us. A York paper of the 24th announces the arrival of the Russell of 74, which parted three days before from Arbuthnot’s fleet, which was of course momently expected. Subsequent intelligence gives us the arrival of the whole fleet. This comes through different channels, &...
2From Alexander Hamilton to James Duane, [7 September 1779] (Hamilton Papers)
I this day received your bill⟨et⟩ of the 4th with one inclosed for Col Washington which was immediately forwarded. You do not mention the receipt of a line from me which I wrote several days since giving you an account of Arbuthnot’s arrival. The current of our intelligence makes the reinforcement with him amount to about three thousand, mostly recruits and in bad health. ’Tis said...
3From Alexander Hamilton to James Duane, 14 September 1779 (Hamilton Papers)
I do not recollect whether I said any thing in my last about the strength of the reinforcement with Arbuthnot. All the accounts agree that it does not exceed 3000, mostly recruits, and in very bad health; ’tis said more than a thousand died on the passage, and the greater part of the remainder, are journeying fast to the other world. Disease prevails also in the other parts of the army and...
4From Alexander Hamilton to James Duane, 14 September 1779 (Hamilton Papers)
I received your letter of the 10th ins. two days since & with my usual distraction suffered your apple to pass out of my hands and to be lost before it could be seen by the General. But Tilghman and Meade who saw it and pretend to be connoisseurs in matters of this kind laughed at me for my inquiries & insisted that it was nothing more than the common crab-apple and not the least resemblance...
5From Alexander Hamilton to James Duane, 1 October 1779 (Hamilton Papers)
I am much obliged to you, my dear Sir, for your two letters of the 16th & 23rd. In haste I snatch up my pen by an express going off to the Governor, to give you the news as it runs. The most important & best authenticated is, that Count D’Estaing was arrived on the coast of Georgia. The tale runs thus. We are in possession of a Charlestown paper of the 6th of September which mentions that the...
6From Alexander Hamilton to James Duane, 14 May 1780 (Hamilton Papers)
This will be handed you by the Marquis, who brings us very important intelligence. The General communicated the substance of it in a private letter to you & proposes a measure which all deem essential. For God’s sake, my Dear Sir, engage Congress to adopt it & come to a speedy decision. We have not a moment to lose. Were we to improve every instant of the interval, we should have too little...
7From Alexander Hamilton to James Duane, [22 July 1780] (Hamilton Papers)
I take the liberty my Dear Sir to request your interest for a friend of mine and a member of the family, Dr McHenry. He wishes to quit a Station which among foreigners is not viewed in a very reputable light and to get into one more military. He will go into the Marquis’s family as an aide. He has been in the army since the commencement of the War—first in the medical line, since the 15th of...
8From Alexander Hamilton to James Duane, [3 September 1780] (Hamilton Papers)
Agreeably to your request and my promise I sit down to give you my ideas of the defects of our present system, and the changes necessary to save us from ruin. They may perhaps be the reveries of a projector rather than the sober views of a politician. You will judge of them, and make what use you please of them. The fundamental defect is a want of power in Congress. It is hardly worth while to...
9From Alexander Hamilton to James Duane, 6 September 1780 (Hamilton Papers)
The letter accompanying this has lain by two or three days for want of an opportunity. I have heard since of Gates defeat, a very good comment on the necessity of changing our system. His passion for Militia, I fancy will be a little cured, and he will cease to think them the best bulwark of American liberty. What think you of the conduct of this great man? I am his enemy personally, for...
10From Alexander Hamilton to James Duane, 18 October 1780 (Hamilton Papers)
Since my last to you, I have had the pleasure of receiving two letters from you. I am sorry to find we do not seem to agree on the proper remedies to our disorder, at least in the practicability of applying those which are proper. Convinced, as I am, of the absolute insufficiency of our present system to our safety, if I do not despair of the Republic, it is more the effect of Constitution...