To Thomas Jefferson from Alexander Hamilton, 22 October 1792
From Alexander Hamilton
Monday October 22. 1792
Mr. Hamilton presents his Compliments to Mr. Jefferson, requests to be informed, if there are any circumstances within his knowlege, more than are mentioned in the inclosed papers, which throw light upon the subject of them; particularly whether the discharge of the Vessels was communicated to the Baron De Steuben at the time it took place or at any time antecedent to the date of the Baron’s last letter to Capt. Lewis.
RC (DLC); endorsed by TJ as received 22 Oct. 1792 and so recorded in SJL. The enclosed papers very likely were those discussed in Hamilton’s report to the House of Representatives of 21 Nov. 1792 (see below).
In compliance with an order from the House of Representatives, Hamilton was investigating a claim for compensation for the Renown, an armed Dutch merchant ship impressed into service by TJ as governor of Virginia in 1781 for an attack against British-held Portsmouth. Hamilton subsequently advised the House that the claimants were entitled to no indemnity from the United States government for the loss of the cargo and vessel, a judgment in which the House concurred (TJ to William Lewis, 4 Mch. 1781; Report on the Petition of Joseph Ball and Isaac Ledyard, 21 Nov. 1792, , xiii, 178–85).