Your agreable favor of the 6th instant came safe to hand the 8th. And I should have done myself the pleasure of acknowledging it much sooner, had it not been that I waited in hourly expectation to receive some intelligence from Mr. Matthews which might be worth your reading, but alass! I am disappointed, for tho' he has wrote me Several letters, he has omitted giving me the information I wish to obtain. (1)

   Nothing in my present situation, except seeing and conversing with my friends, could be more agreable than receiving letters from them, and give me leave to assure you, Sir, there is not one among the few I dare at this day call friends, whose correspondence I should higher value, or whose letters would be more eagerly and gratefully embrac'd, than those you shall at any time favor me with.

   The very polite and affectionate manner, in which you have express'd your wishes, respecting my health, and welfare, cannot fail to impress on a generous mind indelible sentiments of friendship, and excite grateful returns.

   When with horror I contemplate the ill timed, and worse calculated revolutions, alluded to in your letter, the convulsions they must occasion, and the train of distressing embarrassments that will consequently result therefrom, I am overwhelm'd with astonishment, and fill'd with holy indignation at the paracidical conduct of the authors. That "thing" for conducting your late department (2) appear'd in bye corners, and your letter of resignation thereupon sent to congress before I left camp. And I have the Satisfaction of reflecting, that I then fully join'd with my colleagues, in representing to congress, the probable consequences of your resignation, and of making a change of men or measures at so late a period in the campaign, and have shar'd largely in the honor of being censured for giving our sentiments upon the subject. And have to regret our sentiments had not then been more fully expressed, in language emphatical, as the subject is important, which would then, as now, satiated my mind.

   When with a distress'd army, and injured country, I condole the loss of your abilities in the Q.M. Generals department, At the same time I do most cordially congratulate you as a friend, a Gentleman, and a general in our army, on the happy occasion of your being freed from an office, the duties of which you had faithfully discharged, with so much toil and fatigue, and which had ended in discontent and unmerited disgrace. But let me add I feel a degree of solace in reflecting that the rancour of our enemies, the enemies of our country, promp'd them no farther.

   The whole of the late conduct of C____ss relative to you, Sir, and to the committee, had it appear'd in any other age than the present,

   However, I can assure you, Sir, that the favorable opinion you imagine the Gentlemen of the army have conceived of the well meant instructions of the committee, will ever be esteemed a gratefull over ballance, for all the ill treatment they have, or may experience from any other body of men.

   As to the Gentleman who is to succeed you as Q. M. General, (3) his character as a private gentleman, and as a lawyer, was good. And I most sincerely wish his abilities, and exertions, on the present occasion may prove competent for the important purposes of his appointment.

   And if we may judge of future events by past occurrances-The Manner in which he executed the office of adjutant Genl. while in that department-The rapid and decisive movements he has made since his present appointment, leaves us no room to doubt but his piercing eye will run to & fro through the department, beholding the good, and the evil, that is done in it. That his Systematic nod will alone be Sufficient to put the whole machine, instantly, in motion. In fine that he will take up the complex business of the department as a very little thing.

   Our Southern affairs at present wear an unfavorable aspect, but wish they may soon put on a different complexion, for I must here observe that my opinion of Gen ____(4) is not at all lesson'd by what has happen'd at the southward, since his command there, unless on examination it should prove that he had been guilty of treachery to his country, or temerity in his operations against the Enemy, neither of which have I ever had the least reason to suspect he could be guilty of, from my first acquaintance with him even unto this day.

   Though my health has for some time been a little upon the advance yet I am like Issachar (5) Of old crouching down under complicated burthens-for the hand of God hath touched me so, that my bodily indisposition has alone been enough for me to grapple with, and has rendered me less capable, than I otherwise should have been, of enduring the gloomy prospect of a distressed, if not a disbanded Army, a cause which has cost us such a deluge of blood, and immense treasures, put to the hazard, if not, totally lost! The beautiful, once virtuous Virgin America deflowered, and sinking under the weight of measures adopted, and pursued by her degenerate sons, who have been dandled in her lap, nurtured in her bosom, wantonly rioted upon her choicest fruits, and shar'd her highest confidence. Add to all this, my being under the Iron hand of powerful men, whose tender mercies are cruelty, but great as their power is, it by no means equals their malevolence, otherwise no honest man could abide the day of their wrath.

   Was it necessary for a scapegoat, and the committee would in the present case answer as a substitute, so far as it respects me, I have nothing in reserve but my honor and integrity.

   But do you imagine a sacrifice of three men only, could by any means expiate the sins of those who have begun to crucify them, for no other fault than speaking the truth, and endeavoring upon just principles to promote the salvation of a distress'd sinking country?

   Though I should highly esteem the good will and opinion of Congress, and should place the approbation of my fellow citizens, amongst my choicest treasures, yet neither the powers, or the flattery of the former, nor the expectation of applause from the latter, or any consideration whatever shall, in any circumstances of life, enduce me to censure, or approve men, or measures, contrary to my real sentiments .

   You mention something of publishing & it is just, it is a duty, you will one day owe to yourself, and to your country; but not yet my friend.

   For if torture, ever extorted words from the dumb, I should imagine the unmerited, cruel, and infernal treatment honest men receive, from those who ought to be their supporters, would fully justify many others, beside you and me, in undeceiving the public by representing men, and facts in their true colours, to the people at large. But that unbounded love for my country, which at first induced me to forsake all and follow her cause, now loudly forbids my taking any measures, even in defence of that, which ought to be higher valued than life itself, that might have a tendency to cause greater Jealousies among the people at large at this critical period, and till the close of this campaign-for it is better for one, two, or three, or even an hundred honest men to suffer for a time, than to involve the country in greater distress.

   If it had been an open avowed enemy that had done all this wickedness, I could have borne it, but it was my brethren, sons of America, brought up with me, which makes it intolerable, and tho' I shall not quickly pursue, yet if I finally forget the treatment, may my right hand forget her cunning.

   And for the present shall be so far from cursing those, mine adversaries, that I have a blessing in store for them, even for them, who ought to be damn'd for their ingratitude, and lest I should err in pronouncing my benedictions, I will do it in the pathetic words of good old father Jacob to his beloved sons Simeon & Levi, which may be seen at large, Genesis 49:5, 6 & 7th varying only so as to make it applicable to the persons and country. But lest you should be put to trouble in procuring a book, that will give an Idea of the matter, I will write the quotation "Simeon & Levi are brethren: instruments of cruelty are in their habitations. O! my soul come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honor be not thou

   Good men have always spies upon their conduct. Several of my letters of correspondence written in that unguarded manner, in which a man is wont to unbosom himself to his friends, especially when in haste, have of late been intercepted, and either kept from the persons to whom they were address'd, or copied and given off in detach'd sentences, which among enemies operate to my prejudice; On the 6th of last month I wrote a letter which has shar'd the same fate, (6) and by an Anonymous letter I lately received, find my enemies have by some means or other obtain'd a partial copy thereof in Philadelphia, before it could have reach'd the Gentleman to whom it was directed. And you may soon expect to see some very spirited resolutions upon the daring performance. Lest by misrepresentation you should be prepossess'd of an opinion that the letter contains sentiments unwarrantable in themselves, and prejudicial to the publick, I take the liberty of inclosing you a copy, with all blunders, imperfections, treasons and political heresies, therein contain'd, without the least amendment or alteration, that you may judge for yourself what ought to be my doom, for what is written, is written, and I neither Shall, or wish to, say a single word, if nothing more is done about the matter, I trust you will not use the letter to my prejudice, I dont mean as to the sentiments it contains, for I will avow them to my last breath, but only that my enemies need not know that I had sent a copy, and made known the matter, to you.

   Upon looking over the committees papers, dont find the copy of your letter of resignation to congress, which ought to be in our report. I should be very much oblig'd, if you will furnish me a copy by the first express, as our letters to congress mention the Subject.

   The news here is that General Washington is gone to Rhode Island, that General Greene commands the army-that count De Guichen is arrived off Block Island-That Jemmy Rivington has congratulated his fellow Demons on the happy circumstance of admiral Rodney's arrival at the Hook, with ten sail of the line and other ships of force. You will judge of the probability that things are thus Situated.

   I am, Dear Sir, With that truth, which becomes the noblest work of the Deity, Your Sincere friend, most Obedt. and very humble Servant.Nathl Peabody

    (MiU-C: Greene Papers). In the hand of Benjamin Brown and signed by Peabody. FC (Nh-Ar: Miscellaneous Revolutionary Documents). In the hand of Nathaniel Peabody.