June 3, 1776.
GENTLEMEN: The desire of the Court of
France to assist may be depended on; but they are yet timid, and the Ministry unsettled. Turgot, lately removed, was the most averse to a rupture with England; his removal is of consequence. The contention for the lead now is between Count de Vergennes and the Duke de Choiseul; both are friends to you and for vigorous measures. The disposition in France may, for these reasons, be relied on. Spain is more reserved; her Minister here is an old woman; but surely, when France moves Spain will co-operate. The clear revenue from the farm of tobacco is twenty-four millions of livres to France. It has been hinted to me that she is likely to tell Great Britain that if England cannot furnish it she will send for it herself. You may judge, therefore, what an important instrument that is in your hands. A Scotch banker, Sir Robert Herries, proposed to the farmers in France to supply them at the home price here, that is, with the duty, to which they agreed. He then applied to this Government for leave to import it upon paying the duties, which was refused. The Scots are the contrivers and supporters of all the measures against you; nor will they ever desist while the English have a penny to be plundered of, or a man to be sacrificed. Whatever propositions are made you must consider as coming from the Scots, whose perfidy you know can never be trusted. Do not let the character of Lord Howe deceive you. They have corrupted their English adherents almost to their own degree. Howe has a weak and confused head. Two hundred thousand pounds in specie have been sent to Canada
, so that the booty there, if you succeed, must be great.
In the last debate, Lord
George Germaine, who is undoubtedly Minister, affirmed that no treaty would be held with you till you had laid down your arms. My opinion is, that independency is essential to your dignity, essential to your present safety, and essential to your future prosperity and peace. Some of the Congress correspond with Mr˙ Jackson, of the Board of Trade, and with Mr˙ Molleson, a Scotch merchant; the intelligence they give goes directly to the Minister. To prevent this, all correspondence ought to be prevented with the Scots, who are to a man treacherous and hostile; and with the refugee Americans, who also communicate with the Minister. Parson Maddison has been permitted to return to Virginia
, and, as he will probably give intelligence, he should be watched.
The young gentleman who will deliver this is of great worthiness, and deserves much of his country for his fidelity and zeal. Six thousand of the
Hessian troops sailed last month, the remainder is not yet arrived here, so that it may be September before they reach you. In the mean time, it may be Howe' s plan to amuse you with a negotiation, which may also furnish an opportunity of feeling some pulses among you, as to the efficacy of money and promises. Beware of Joseph Reed, of Philadelphia. One Brooke Watson, who was permitted to travel last year from New-York to Quebeck, gave in a plan to the Ministry for attacking Canada
, and is with the invaders.
This book is better than the last I sent you. It is to decipher what I write to you, and for you to write by. This is done by putting the page where the word is to be found, and the letter of the alphabet corresponding in order with the word. As there are more words in a page than the letters of the alphabet, the letter must be doubled or trebled to answer that; as thus — to express the troops, you write 369,kk 381,vv; ing, ed, s, &c˙, must be added when necessary, and distinguished by making no comma between them and the figures; thus — for betrayed, put 33ed. The letters I use are these, a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z, which are twenty-six. I cannot use this until I know it is safe. You can write to Mrs˙
Lee, on Tower Hill
, in a woman' s hand; if you have both books, say the children are well; if the first only, the eldest child is well; if this, the youngest child is well. They will let this pass.
Copy of A˙
Lee' s letter to the Committee of Secret Correspondence, date June 3, and taken from the original in the cover of a dictionary, which was delivered to the Secretary of Congress, by Mr˙ Robert Morris, on the 4th of September, 1778, and delivered to the Committee of Foreign Affairs, 7th December
following.
Attest: JAMES LOVELL.
Dictionary code was used extensively during the Revolution. A published dictionary is the basis, and the desired word indicated by page number, column, and line. This is the code proposed by AL above. The Lee brothers (Richard Henry, William, and Arthur) used a dictionary code in their correspondence; the dictionary in question was the 1777 edition of John Entick's
New Spelling Dictionary.