Sir/

Your Favour of 29^th ult^mo. has just come to Hand,¹ before which I had dispatched my Letters to you and M^r Shirley² with Liberty for Him to repair to this State that on Consideration I may lend means to gratifie his Request as far as shall appear consistent, & it is probable He may obtain such Liberty as will be agreable to Him.

By the Acts of Congress, & from the nature of the seperate & independant Sovereignty of the several States, I Conceive that all Prisoners taken by the independant Forces of any particular State whether by Sea or Land, are to be under the Controul & Disposition of the States by whom captured [provided that the] Peace & Safety of y^e State where y y [they] may happen to be, be not broke or endangered & no other, unless that of Congress. I therefore hope the Hon^ble. Council of Your State³ will not insist on our Prisoners, taken in y^e Cyrus & Kepple,⁴ being delivered to their Commissary.⁵ unless the Interest & Safety of the Public require it. The Civility & Respect You have shown M^r. Shirley his Lady &c is very agreable to me, as well as the Indulgence to the Seamen, & wish to have same continued till We can take further Order concerning Them, but if the Hon^o Council cannot be induced to accede from their demand concerning Them, You will send them all, by the middle Road to the Town of Norwich in this State in such safe & proper manner as Your Prudence shall suggest, unless it shall be inconsistent with the Laws of your State. Your Conduct in not giving them up to y^e Commissary &c in y^e Circumstances, unless justly offensive to your Hon^o Council, as I cannot conceive it to be, has my Approbation. &c