To Alexander Hamilton from Robert Morris, 9 September 1797
From Robert Morris1
Hills2 near Philada. Septr. 9th. 1797
Dear Sir
I have received your favour of the 29th.3 with the Papers enclosed therewith and should have acknowledged the receipt of them immediately but that I observed you had inserted a larger Sum as the bala. of my Note than I thought could be due thereon & lest you may not have kept a regular acct of the payments I have made on that account I wrote Mr Cottringer4 to make an extract from My Books & you will find it herein. I wish I could remit you the balance, but that is not yet in my power, I hope it may [be] soon.
I was much disappointed at not seeing you when in Philada.5 I went thither on purpose one Sunday Morning & sent my Son Charles to every place I could think of to bring you to dine with us, but he was unsuccessful and I regretted it much & more so afterwards when I found you had departed without giving me a call at this place.
I am most truly your obedt. Servant
Robt Morris
Colo. Hamilton
ALS, Hamilton Papers, Library of Congress; LC, Robert Morris Papers, Library of Congress.
1. This letter concerns Morris’s efforts to pay the balance of a debt which he owed to H. For an account of this debt and Morris’s efforts to pay it, see the introductory note to H to Morris, March 18, 1795. See also Morris to H, March 31, June 2, 23, 30, July 18, 20, 1795; June 17, 27–30, November 19, December 8, 1796; June 2, 10, 1797.
2. “The Hills” was the name of Morris’s estate on the eastern bank of the Schuylkill River. It was about three miles from what was then Philadelphia.
3. Letter not found.
4. For Garrett Cottringer, Morris’s bookkeeper, see H to Morris, March 18, 1795, note 17.
5. H had been in Philadelphia from July 19 to July 22–24, 1797, in connection with the “Reynolds Affair.” See H to Elizabeth Hamilton, July 19, 1797; H to James Monroe, July 22, 1797.