Capt. George Harvy of the Light Infantry of the 3d Battalion of Philada Associators is just come in with the enclosed letter from the General,(1) which fully explains the reasons of his movements as well as his present situation & leaves us nothing but good wishes to add on that subject. We also received the enclosed dispatches from the Convention of New York, the Address to their Constituents we have detained in order to have it Copied and Translated, doubting whether Mr Lewis can get it done with the same convenience in Baltimore.(2) The original shall be sent forward to you soon as it is Copied. The Continental Schooner Georgia Packet arrived last night from Georgia & the Captain says he did not see any Men of War in our Bay. We hope they may be gone for N York again but must send down to see before any movements can be made with our Shipping and We fear being interrupted by Ice. Mr Byers who formerly Cast Brass Field pieces in New York has been with us this morning. He says the Furnace erected here by the Council of Safety will do with a very little alteration. Mr Rittenhouse & Mr. Owen Biddle To Members of that Council are ingenious men & have some knowledge in this business, & we think it wou'd be best to desire the Council of Safety to Conduct that Work at the Continental Expence & for the Continental service as long as they can find proper Metals & Materials. We have spoke to those Gentn on the Subject & find them willing to undertake it if requested so to do. We have the honor to remain sir, Your obedt hble servts,
Robt Morris
Geo. Clymer
Geo Walton
1 Washington's January 5 letter to Hancock is in PCC, item 152, 3:437-40, and Washington, Writings ( Fitzpatrick) 6: 467-71 .
2 The New York convention's December 28 letter to Hancock and its December 23 address to its constituents are in PCC, item 67, 1:372-92, 402-5, and Am. Archives, 5th ser. 3: 1382-88, 1466-68. This address was later translated into German by Lewis Weiss and printed under the title Zuschrift aus dem Versammlung der Reprasentaten des Staates von New York an die, welche sie dazu bestellt haben (Philadelphia: Steiner and Cist, 1777). JCC, 9:1081. In the rush of business, Congress overlooked the Executive Committee's plan to have this document tfanslated and ordered Francis Lewis to make arrangements for the translation instead. The members of the Executive Committee interpreted this action as a rebuke to them and were only mollified after Hancock explained that it had been nothing more than an oversight by Congress. See JCC, 7 : 42; Pa. Council Minutes, p. 100; Executive Committee to Hancock, January 26; and Hancock to the Executive Committee, January 29, 1777. There is an interesting comparison of the convention's address (which was written by John Jay) with Thomas Paine's The Crisis in Jay, Papers (Morris), 1: 359-61.