My dear and Honored Sir

Inclosed you have copies of sundry Letters &ca which I forwarded to you the 17th Ulto under cover to Messrs [Abraham] Livingston and [William] Turnbull and which I fully expected would have reached your hands in Boston but by carelessness or otherwise the Packet hath never reached their hands and is I fear entirely lost. — inclosed you have also the copy of my letter of 24th to Mr Morris and of 30th to the Commissioners at Paris. — the reason of my then writing to Mr Morris appears in the letter. — I look up to him and to you with Sentiments of the highest esteem and Gratitude and my first wish is to appear deserving in his and in your Sight and to have it in my power to render Eminent Services to America. — perhaps my fears have been needless? — I will relay on the goodness of Congress — I hope they will not put me under the command of Men who durst or did not embark in the Navy before the Seventh of December 1775 for I assure you I dread such dishonor worse than Death. — I can have no desire to decline the Service while the liberties of America are doubtful — it is my pride and Glory that I was one of the first who endeavoured to defend her Just rights; Suffer me but to continue in the line wherein I embarked — I ask no more or if that be too much, I am willing to stand an examination with any one, or with every one of the Thirteen persons by whom I am at present superseded — and will yield the point to superiour Services and Abilities. — I cannot now hope for the pleasure of hearing from you before my departure — which is fast approaching. I however will expect that pleasure when I reach France — for by a late letter from Mr Morris to Genl Whipple it appears that Congress still mean that I should attend to my former Orders from the Secret Committee. I am not disgusted — nor under a Childish pet; — but will continue in the Service in certain hopes that the day is not far distant when my present fears and apprehensions will be finally removed; in the meantime I mean only to express my Sentiments in decent tho' Manly language. I confess in the Overflowing of my heart that the command of the important expedition which was alloted to me by Mr Morris last winter far exceeded my expectation. I am also deeply sensible of the distinctions and preference which I have since that time experienced from Congress and from the Marine and the Secret Committees — and I attribute the Mistake in the line of Rank not to intention but to your absence and to the partial recommendations which were then exhibited.

I relay on your Friendship — I promise to pay attention to your advice and I most Sincerely am My dear Sir [&c.]