1. Miers Fisher, an attorney, and Samuel Fisher were members of a Philadelphia firm of merchants. The Fishers were involved in an equity suit against the “Council of Proprietors of East Jersey & the Heirs & Representatives of James Alexander & Robert Hunter Morris.”

2. On the cover of this letter H wrote: “Answer Not yet determined on my general plan. When I go to NYork will write further.” H’s reply has not been found.

H did not serve as counsel for the Fishers. The case came before the United States Circuit Court of New Jersey on April 2, 1795, and an entry in the court minutes reads: “on the equity side of the court” (RG 21, United States District Court for New Jersey, Circuit Court Minutes, April 2, 1790–April 18, 1879, National Archives). The case reached the Supreme Court of the United States in February, 1800, as Rutherford et al., Plaintiffs in error v Fisher et al., with Richard Stockton of New Jersey as counsel for the Fishers and Edward Tilghman of Philadelphia as counsel for Rutherford (4 Dallas, U.S. Reports description begins A. J. Dallas, Reports of Cases Ruled and Adjudged in the Several Courts of the United States and of Pennsylvania, Held at the Seat of the Federal Government. Vol. IV. Third Edition. Edited, With Notes and References to Later Decisions, by Frederick C. Brightly (New York, 1905). description ends , 22).