[Philadelphia, September 19 ー October 6, 1775]2
[Extract]
In Septr 1775 Willing Morris & Co entered into a Contract with the Secret Committee and received 45000 Dollars in advance thereon, Mr Wm Duncan a Worthy Active Young Gentleman of the City of Philada was jointly Concerned in this Contract tho not named. We bought the Ship Duke of York3 Capt Higgins & sent her for Hamburg in Ballast the said Mr Duncan going passenger in order to execute the Contract carrying with him bills drawn by Willing Morris & Co in order to make the purchases. But Willing Morris & Co having supplyed Bills on London at different times to a considerable Amount for the Public use, & not being able to buy others to replace their Money in Europe; made application for leave to Export Provisions (during the time of the prohibition) on the Continental Account . . . the design being to replace for WM & Co in Europe the Money they had drawn for, to serve the Public and the Money Mr Duncan was to lay out in Hamburg . . . but it unfortunately happened that the Ship Duke of York Cap Higgins has never been heard of & Mr Duncan must have perished in her. this of course prevented the execution of this Contract
1. Robert Morris Papers, HUL.
2. These dates are arbitrary, the first being the day the Secret Committee was elected, and the latter, the day the Committee was permitted to export as much provision or other products as expedient for the purchase of arms and ammunition.
3. The Duke of York, a ship of ninety tons, was purchased from Blair McClenachan a Philadelphia merchant. She was an old vessel, having been built in 1765, and, until acquired by McClenachan on Decemmber 3, 1774, had bern called the Mercury. Ships' Registers, HSP.
