To Alexander Hamilton from Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, 5 June 1796
From Charles Cotesworth Pinckney1
Charleston [South Carolina] June 5th: 1796
Dear Sr:
I beg leave to recommend to your attention the Bearer of this Letter Mr: Benjamin Huger,2 a Gentleman of family & fortune in this State; he is the Son of Major Huger3 who unfortunately fell at the lines of Charleston in 1779, & the Eldest Brother of the Mr: Huger4 who was imprisoned by the Austrians for attempting the rescue of the brave Marquis la Fayette. He intends to travel with his Lady this Summer through the Middle & Eastern States and if he visits New York, I will be obliged to you for your attentions to them. I wrote to you the 3d: of last March5 on Mr: Church’s6 affairs & enclosed to you a Bill for two thousand seven hundred & seventy dollars drawn by Jno: Price & Co of this City on Comfort Sands Esqr: of New York7 in favour of Mr. George Lockey8 & indorsed by him to you.9 Be so good as to inform me whether it has been honoured. Mrs: Pinckney joins me in best respects to Mrs: Hamilton, & I remain with great regard & esteem
Yrs truly
Charles Cotesworth Pinckney
Honble
Coll: Hamilton.
ALS, Hamilton Papers, Library of Congress.
1. Pickney was practicing law in Charleston at this time.
2. Huger, a wealthy rice planter, was elected to Congress in 1798 and served in the House of Representatives from March, 1799, to March, 1805.
3. Major Benjamin Huger.
4. Francis Kinloch Huger. See H to George Washington, January 19, 1796.
5. Letter not found.
6. John B. Church.
7. Among other business activities, Sands engaged extensively in foreign trade. He was president of the New York City Chamber of Commerce from 1794 to 1798.
8. Lockey was a British merchant.
9. On March 28, 1796, H made the following entry in his Cash Book, 1795–1804: “To J B Church for this sum being the amount of a Bill on Comfort Sands accepted by him payable in 60 days & discounted at the Bank on account of Kinloch’s bond 2770” (AD, Hamilton Papers, Library of Congress). “Kinloch’s bond” had been delivered to Church by the executors of Francis Kinloch of South Carolina for a debt contracted during the American Revolution (Cleland Kinloch to H, September 20, 1785, and Church to H, April 5, 1786). Francis Kinloch was the father of Cleland, Francis, and Mary Kinloch and the grandfather of Francis Kinloch Huger.
In “John B. Church’s Account with Alexander Hamilton,” June 15, 1797, is the following entry: “1796 October 11 By this sum received on account of Kinlock’s Bond 340.4.6.”