Sir

We are now to acknowledge the Rect of Your Favours under the 28th Ulto & 6th Inst which came to our Hands but a few Days since, otherwise should have been replied to before We embraced the first Opportunity & Wrote Mr Mumford sending him an Extract of Your Letter desiring the Iron Caboose might be omitted & wishing that it might not do any Damage to him as we had no other Viewjn the Matter than to ob[l]ige You & render a Peke of Service to the Continental Ship under Your Care ² and we could have wished the Matter had so ended; but are sorry to tell You that he holds us to our Engagement as You will see by his Letter to us of Yesterdays Date which we here enclose —

We think it rather unfortunate that You did not know sooner that You could have the Iron Caboose made at Norwich as no Doubt it would have come much cheaper & have been more convenient [to] You to have it made there than here. However we really think ourselves justifiable in agreeing with him for it after the Rect of Your Letter of the 26th Sept which is as follows "I want for the Frigate under my Direction an Iron Caboose or Furnace the same Size that You have for Your smallest Frigate, You will much oblige me and serve the Publick at the same Time if You can procure & send me one of them. Our Forecastle to the Ship I believe is lower than Yours; perhaps it may make some little Difference in the. Height of the Furnace."

The foregoing being a true State of this Matter we trust, Sir, You will not blame us for what we have done as our Intention was to serve You in Return for the Services You have rendered the Naval Committee about the Spars ³ — You will please to favour us with a Line by the first Opportunity that we may not have any Difference with Mr Mumford which we would wish to avoid —

The Naval Committee thank You for the Information of the two large Spars which got loose in the Sound and we have wrote to Mr Nathl Shaw of New London to use his best Endeavours to get them from Fishers' & Long Island to New London & from thence here; they are also glad that all the Spars are brought in from New Hartford and observe Your kind Intention of sending them here which we hope You will soon find an Opportunity of doing before the Se.ason much farther advances —

In Behalf of Messrs Jos & Willm Russell

I am, Sir, with due Respect [&c.]