1From John Jay to Egbert Benson, 2 June 1807 (Jay Papers)
I have rec d . your Letter of the 19 ult. — In my opinion the Paragraph in Question would be sufficiently explained by M r . Colemans publishing the following Remark upon it viz t [“]In the Herald of the 29 April last it is stated ‘that Governor Jay had ^has^ said, that he cannot possibly conceive that any man who calls himself a Fœderalist, can ever give a Vote for a Candidate set up by the...
2From John Jay to Egbert Benson, 12 May 1807 (Jay Papers)
I rec d . on Saturday last your Letter dated “Wednesday,” relative to the Paragraph in the Herald of the 29 th April—in which the Editor says: “ I am authorized to declare, that Gov r . Jay has said that he cannot possibly conceive that any Man who calls himself a Fœderalist, can ever give a vote for a Candidate set up by the Clinton Party. ” My Son, apprehending that this had been an...
3From John Jay to the New York State Chancellor (Robert R. Livingston), Chief Justice (John Lansing Jr.), and Associate … (Jay Papers)
To secure the Liberties of the People and the legitimate Rights of their Government, against Encroachment and usurpation, it has from Experience been found necessary to divide the powers of Government into three distinct and independent Departments— aggregately considered, they possess all the power of Government; and are always in Capacity to defend their respective authorities against...
4Théophile Cazenove to Egbert Benson and Alexander Hamilton, 5 July 1797 (Hamilton Papers)
Philadelphia, July 5, 1797. States: “Mr. Benson’s absence retarding the answer upon my letter of the 29 May, which answer I have sollicited from your friendship, permit me to add to that letter some observations relative to the same Subject.” Asks if the Holland Land Company “is allowed to sell at 10 & 12 years credit;… will She be allowed to hold the mortgage upon the Land as a pledge for the...
5Théophile Cazenove to Egbert Benson and Alexander Hamilton, 29 May 1797 (Hamilton Papers)
Philadelphia, May 29, 1797. “The enclosed extract of a Letter lately received from General Schuyler will create much uneasiness amongst the Dutch proprietors who have obtained the faculty to hold their Lands in the state of New York ’till the 11th. April 1803. A Law passed in the last Session extends that faculty ’till 1816. provided the Dutch Proprietors shall interest themselves as...
6From John Jay to Egbert Benson, 27 June 1795 (Jay Papers)
[ illegible ] ^[ illegible ]^ after my Return from Ph a ., and just as I was about setting out for Rye ^from whence I returned last Ev g ^ your Letter of the 13 Inst, which had been sent on to Ph a ., was delivered to me— It gave me pleasure to recieve it, but I should have been ^more^ pleased to have seen the writer. God only knows, [ illegible ] whether my Removal from the Bench to my...
7From John Jay to Egbert Benson, 31 March 1792 (Jay Papers)
I have had the pleasure of seeing Sen r . Ceracchi, & his model of a monument in Honor of the Revolution. The Design appears to me to be a noble one—worthy of the attention of the U.S., and honorable to the Taste & Talents of the artist.— It cannot fail of being interesting to all who contributed to the Revolution, and to that glorious Triumph of Liberty which it exhibited, and which well...
8From Alexander Hamilton to Egbert Benson, [1785–1787] (Hamilton Papers)
[ 1785–1787. ] Recounts the facts in the case of Mary Franklin, Executor of Henry Franklin v Teunis Slingerlands . LS , from a photostat in the New York State Library, Albany. Benson, a New York lawyer, was a member of the first New York State Assembly in 1777, a delegate to the Continental Congress from 1781 to 1784, and attorney general of New York from 1777 to 1787. He was a member of the...
9Thomas Cushing, Francis Dana, and Samuel Breck to Alexander Hamilton and Egbert Benson, 10 September 1786 (Hamilton Papers)
Understanding on our arrival in this City last Fryday evening, that you had gone on for the Convention at Annapolis the week past, we take the Liberty to acquaint you and beg you to communicate to the Convention if it should be opened before we arrive there, that we shall set off from this Place to morrow to join them, as Commissioners from the State of Massachusetts, which we hope to do in...
10From Alexander Hamilton to Egbert Benson, 10 December 1784 (Hamilton Papers)
New York, December 10, 1784. “When you were in town you mentioned to me some cause which you expected to come on at the circuit and to which you wished me to attend. As the parties have escaped my recollection …, I have concluded to write to you on the subject; that you may inform me who are the parties & what the controversy.” ALS , The Huntington Library, San Marino, California. Part of this...
11From Alexander Hamilton to Egbert Benson, 8 June 1784 (Hamilton Papers)
[ New York, June 8, 1784. The catalogue description of a letter to Benson from Hamilton reads: “Mainly on legal business, concluding: ‘No thing new here except that the Whigs by way of eminence (as they distinguish themselves) are degenerating fast into a very peaceable set of people.’” Letter not found. ] ALS , sold at Anderson Galleries, May 9, 1912, Lot 65.
12From Alexander Hamilton to Egbert Benson, 18 February 1784 (Hamilton Papers)
[ New York ] February 18, 1784 . “I am engaged in several causes depending on the Trespass law on the side of the defendants. Three of my Clients who are British Merchants are anxious to have your assistance.… The actions are brought in the Mayor’s Court; so that I suppose the argument will come on in about five weeks. Will it be convenient for you to be here?” ALS , Lloyd W. Smith Collection,...
13From John Jay to Egbert Benson, 15–18 December 1783 (Jay Papers)
I arrived here from Bath Yesterday afternoon, for the Purpose of settling affairs with the Ex[ecuto] rs of M rs . Peloquin. as I have not yet seen those Gentlemen, I cannot at present say any Thing on that Subject. Sometime ago I rec d from Fred k . an Instrument of writing appointing Persons to appraise the Farm at Rye; I executed it, and sent it to S r . Jam s ., that he might do the like, &...
14From John Jay to Egbert Benson, 12 September 1783 (Jay Papers)
Is it not almost Time for me to expect a Letter from ^ You? ^ —the one enclosing Letters of Att y was the last of yours that have reached me . M rs. Jay gave me another Daughter last Month, & you are its ^ her ^ Godfather— I hope next Summer to introduce her to You.— Do my dear Friend
15From George Washington to Egbert Benson, 10 June 1783 (Washington Papers)
I have been favored with your Letter of the 30th of May, containing several Queries respecting the Extent of your Commission. That you would find Embarrassments in the Execution of your Instructions, is no more than I expected; but to remove, is not so easy, as to foresee them. It is exceedingly difficult for me, not being a Witness to the Particular Cases, or acquainted with the Circumstances...
16From George Washington to Egbert Benson, 2 June 1783 (Washington Papers)
I transmit to you a Copy of a Resolution of Congress which passed the 26th ulto Claimg Property of the United States &ca & remonstratg against sendg off Negroes. The purport of this Act you will collect from its perusal—I have only to request that you will be pleased to pay strict Attention to the Injunctions of Congress contained therein. I am &ca. DLC : Papers of George Washington.
17From George Washington to Egbert Benson, 27 May 1783 (Washington Papers)
M. George Readhead & M. John Johnson, by whom you will receive this, are impowered by the State of So. Carolina, to demand and receive all the public & private property, which has been carried off from that State, by the British Forces. They have been directed by the Delegates of So. Carolina, to take my Instructions, respecting the Mode of Conducting their Business. Sir Guy Carleton will...
18From George Washington to Egbert Benson, 8 May 1783 (Washington Papers)
To Egbert Benson Esqr. Attorney General of the State of New York, William S. Smith Esqr. Lt Colonel in the Service of the United States, and Danl Parker Esqr. Whereas His Excellency Sir Guy Carleton Commander in Chief of the British Troops in the Posts now occupied by His Britannic Majesty contiguous to the Atlantic, did on the 14th April last, write to the Honble R. R. Livingston one of the...
19From John Jay to Egbert Benson, 26 August 1782 (Jay Papers)
The Day before Yesterday I rec d . a Letter from Col. Isaac Sears dated the 25 March last, covering one from you of the ^ dated ^ the 27 Nov. 1782— The You evidently mistook the Year, and if the month be right, you have either been lazy or your Letters very unlucky— ^ I suppose the latter to have been the case ^ The only Letters I have rec d
20From George Washington to Egbert Benson, 9 July 1782 (Washington Papers)
I have the honor to transmit to you a copy of the contract for supplying the garrison of West point and its dependencies, also the hospital contract; together with the charges exhibited by the officers of the army against Comfort Sands Esqr. & Co. respecting the execution of these contracts; with sundry other papers relative to the same subject: and have to request of you, Gentlemen, that you...
21From George Washington to Egbert Benson, 18 June 1782 (Washington Papers)
Some disputes having arisen between the Army & Mr Sands in the Execution of his Contract.It becomes necessary to have them decided in the Mode prescribed in the Contract, which is by the submitting them to the Decision of three indifferent Men not of the Army;One to be chosen by the Army the second by Mr Sands & the third by the other two. Having named You on the Part of the Army, as one of...
22From John Jay to Egbert Benson, 8 December 1781 (Jay Papers)
I had yesterday the pleasure of receiving your favor of the 30 th Oct r : last —the only one that has come to my hands since I left Philadelphia— The letter, you mention to have written when Gen l : Washington was in WChester County, has miscarried, and I the more regret it, as it probably contained some particulars about my Father’s family, of whom I hear little except by reports transmitted...
23From John Jay to Egbert Benson, 18 September 1780 (Jay Papers)
I have written many Letters to my Friends in the State of New York since I left America, but have not yet rec d . a single Line from any of them—is not this a little hard? Am I to suppose that all your Letters have miscarried, or that your Attention as ^ has been ^ too much engaged by Affairs at Home to extend to an old Friend abroad? Whatever is the Cause I assure you I regret it. Since ^...
24John Jay, Charles De Witt, Zephaniah Platt, Matthew Cantine, and Christopher Tappen to Egbert Benson, 2 June 1777 (Jay Papers)
As Committees from the Counties of orange Ulster & Dutches are to meet at New Windsor tomorrow for the Important Purpose of agreeing on the men proper to fill the great offices of Government, we take the Liberty of communicating to you our Sentiments on that Subject in full confidence that should they concur with your own, you will exert yourself in giving them Influence. Gen. Schuyler arrived...
25From George Washington to Egbert Benson and Brigadier General George Clinton, 13 July 1776 (Washington Papers)
Two ships of force with their Tenders have Sailed up Hudsons River —I am apprehensive that they design to seize the passes in the Highlands by Land wh[ich] I am informed may be done by a small body of Men. I must therefore request you instantly to desire Genl Ten Broeck to March down as great force as he can Collect to secure them, particularly the post where the Road runs over Anthonies nose...