From Alexander Hamilton to John B. Church, 4 August 1786
To John B. Church
Augt. 4. 1786
Dr Sir
The only letter I have received from you in a considerable time is one introducing Lt Col Hastings1 to whom I have paid the attention which your recommendation will always give title to.
The following remittances made by me remain unacknowleged by you.
A bill of Exchange drawn by Constable & Rucker2 for £400 Sterling
Currency | |
Specie ⅌ the Tankerville Packet | £1057.17.8 |
Ditto per the Carteret | 1000 |
I take it for granted all is right. The specie has been insured here.
By a Ship I think of Murrays,3 I sent you copies of two letters of which the Inclosed are duplicate copies.4 By these you will perceive you have a right to call upon Mr. James Duff of Cadiz5 and Messrs. Bell and Woodmass of London for ⅛ of what the Ship Tartar sold for. This you will recollect is one of the Ships in which Wadsworth and yourself were concerned with Isaac Moses & Co.6 I thought it better to secure the money in the hands of these Gentlemen than to let it pass into those of Mr. Wilcox7 out of which it does not seem very easy to extract this kind of commodity. What you receive will of course be on the joint account of Wadsworth & yourself.
I have received for your account of Wadsworth and Shalor8 6500 dollars.
say of Wadsworth | 3500 |
of Shalor | 3000 |
Inclosed you have bill of Lading for the amount of 5000 dollars which is all I have been able conveniently to ship in the right Coin. There is a ship which will sail in about ten days by which I will send you the Residue and a further sum in my hands on your Account.
I have some hopes of shortly getting rid of your lot.
I have written to Messrs. Bell and Woodmass9 by this opportunity and I enclose you duplicate of a letter which I wrote some time since to Mr. Duff.10
Betsey joins me in best affections to Mrs. Church & your self. Adieu
A Hamilton
ADfS, Hamilton Papers, Library of Congress.
1. Presumably George Hastings, lieutenant colonel of the Third Regiment of the Foot Guards, British army. Letter not found.
2. William Constable and John Rucker, New York merchants, organized the firm of Constable, Rucker and Company in 1784.
3. John Murray, a New York merchant, was engaged in extensive shipping operations.
4. Letters not found.
5. James Duff was British consul at the port of Cadiz. In 1813 the title of baronet was conferred on him.
6. For information on the joint ownership of ships by Isaac Moses and Company, Jeremiah Wadsworth, and Church, see John Wilcocks to H, March 5, 1786.
7. John Wilcocks, like Isaac Moses, was involved in occasional joint ownership of ships with Wadsworth and Church. See Wilcocks to H, March 5, 1786.
8. Nathaniel Shaler, a New York merchant, was occasionally involved in business partnerships with Jeremiah Wadsworth.
9. Letter not found.
10. Letter not found.