Charles Town River [Boston] the 7th Augt 1775
(Copy)
Sir I last Night was honoured with your Letter inclosing a Copy of One from his Excellency the Earl of Dunmore referring You to me respecting Captain [John] Macartney's Conduct and my knowledge of facts; in so delicate a point I thought it proper to stay until Morning to give my Answer, as his Lordship had not made me acquainted when I left Virginia with the purport of his Letter, And beg leave to remark that I never was present when his Lordship and Captain Macartney had any Consultations, what comes to my knowledge is as follows ー On Captain Macartney's Arrival in his Majesty's Ship Mercury at York, he came Onboard the Fowey and asked me that State of the Country, And if I went onshore. I answered that I looked upon the People to be in a State of Rebellion and thought it was dangerous to go, that the next day being the 12th of July last, Captain Macartney came Onboard the Fowey to wait on his Lordship, and afterwards went onshore to wait on the President of the Council; On his return from the President's Onboard the Fowey Captain Macartney told his Lordship that he was to dine with the President that day, and that his Lordship told him it was imprudent, as the President was a Man disaffected to Government, and that at his house he would most likely meet some who were then under Arms and in actual Rebellion. And that his Lordship used many Arguments to shew the impropriety of Accepting the invitation without effect, As he went and dined with the President, And, that at that time there were three or four hundred Armed Men in the Town; from the nature of Circumstances the foregoing cannot be otherwise than Awkward; And are the facts that come to my knowledge