1. Letter not found.

2. Duane had been indicted in 1800 under the Sedition Act for libel of the United States Senate. H needed the information concerning Duane’s indictment and trial for his defense of Harry Croswell, Federalist editor of The [Hudson, New York] Balance, and Columbian Repository, who in January, 1803, had been indicted for seditious libel by the Grand Jury in Columbia County, New York. For H’s role in People v Croswell, see Goebel, Law Practice description begins Julius Goebel, Jr., and Joseph H. Smith, eds., The Law Practice of Alexander Hamilton: Documents and Commentary (New York and London, 1964– ). description ends , I, 775–848.

Rawle did not send this letter to H until July 29, 1803, when he wrote at the bottom of the letter printed above: “The above was written sometime ago and no safe private conveyance occurring to my knowledge—& your letter not specifying within what particular time, it was necessary to send them, I kept the papers by me.…”