Lee, Richard Henry, Signer of the Declaration of Independence from Virginia

Autograph letter signed ("Richard Henry Lee"), 2 pages (12 5/8 x 7 7/8 in.; 320 x 202 mm) on a bifolium (watermarked pro patria), Baltimore, 24 December 1776, to Robert Morris (at Philadelphia), autograph address and reception docket on verso of second leaf; seal remnant and tear with loss, separated at central fold, a few other short fold separations, some with early repair. Half blue morocco folding-case.

Sold, Charles Hamilton Galleries, 20 April 1972, lot 189

Letters of Delegates to Congress, ed. Smith, 5:656–57

Lee sends a dispatch, "In great haste," to his congressional colleague Robert Morris, regarding the interdiction of American cargo ships. Morris had chosen to remain in Philadelphia when Congress, under the threat of a British attack, adjourned to Baltimore. (On 21 December, Morris, George Clymer, and George Walton were appointed an executive committee of Congress at Philadelphia.) The original source of Lee's intelligence has not been identified.

"The following extract of a letter from London dated 21st of September last I send for your future government. 'The Americans seem strangely infatuated, for notwithstanding the repeated perfidy they have experienced from the Scotch & the bitter hatred every one of that nation, in all parts of the world, bear to the American cause, some how or other that people are parties concerned in all the trade that the Americans carry on to parts of Europe, in consequence of which the B. Ministry have an accurate accot. of every Vessel that arrives in every Port of Europe from America with the particulars of her returns and they know also of every Vessel that loads in Europe for America. This is accomplished principally by the means of the house of Hope & Co. in Amsterdam (all of them Scotchmen) who have the most extensive correspondence of any power in Europe & have been employed these two years to give the British Ministry information of whatever is done in any of the European Ports relative to America. Besides the Scotchmen & Tories in London seem to be the only persons in whom the Merchants of America at present place confidence by which means two Ships have been lately stopt by the Magistracy of Hamburgh that were loading there, as is supposed on account of Messrs. Willing & Morris & Co. in Philadelphia.

"'The bills with which their Cargos were to be purchased, were remitted for negotiation to some Scotch House in London, & it is imagined thro that Channel information was given of the real destination of the Vessels, tho' the property appears to be British & the Vessels were said publickly to be bound to Madeira. However upon this information, the British resident there, Mr. Matthias applied to the Magistracy of Hamburgh, who have stoped the Vessel, & some say, have imprisoned the Masters. You know that Hamburg is a very small independent State that must at all times comply with the requisitions of the strong European Powers in order to preserve their independence.

"'It is said that a plan is formed with France to supply that Country with Tobo. from America, should this be the case, they, vizt. the Americans will no doubt take care to send there, only such kind of Tobo. as the French have been accustomed to receive, otherwise the general trade in that Comodity will hereafter be much injured, if not totally ruined.'" In closing, Lee assures Morris, "I do not write you this on a supposition that you have meddled with these treacherous people, but to put you on your guard against those who mean our Ruin."

Morris replied on 27 December: "I fear there is but too much reason to suspect the generality of Scotchman as our most inveterate Enemies in the present Contest but I do not believe the misfortune of the two Ships at Hamburg to be oweing to any treachery. ... I saw the acct. of the Stoppage of these Vessells some time ago & was very uneasy at it knowing the Importance of the Cargoes they went for, but still I have comforted myself with a firm dependence on the agent I sent to manage the matter, who, tho a Scotch Man is a Man of Strict honor, extreamly well versed in business & capable of extricating himself from difficulties so that I have at this moment a firm reliance on receiving those Cargoes by some other Channell in the Course of this Winter" (Letters of Delegates 5: 682–83).