Robert Morris to Richard Henry Lee

I have now to acknowledge the Rect. of your second letter of the 24th Inst. continuing the quotation from your London letter of the 21st Septr. for which I am much obliged.¹ The papers of the Secret Committee are sent away with my [own] & are now under care of one of my Clerks at Christiana Bridge but I very well remember that the propriety & necessity of sorting the Tobacco's Shipped to Europe so as to suit the different Markets, struck me so forcibly that in one of the Committees letters to my Brother he was desired to employ proper persons to Inspect every Cargo that arrives & sort it in the manner I have mentioned. This you may [well?] remember if you think of it a little & […] you'l see we have neither discovered ignorance nor inattention in this point. I shou'd have been glad you had mentioned the Gentns. Name that you wish to have joined with My Brother in this business. I shall readily Consent to every measure that tends to promote the Publick Good but it is necessary you will agree that I know who is to be joined to my Brother in a business of this kind, and if the Man meets my approbation there will be no difficulty in agreeing on the Measure. I wish the Secret Committee to buy the Ships you mention & hope they may be had reasonably. If the purchase is made there is Tobacco already bought to load them & I dont think you shou'd undertake any fresh purchases at this time because great Numbers of our People that had Continental Money on hand have gone down to buy Tobacco on the prospect of this City falling into the hands of the Enemy and I am fearfull they will raise prices. If we set up New purchases at this time it will assist in raising prices and if we remain quiet during the present alarm, we shall have an opportunity by & by of rebuying all the Tobacco now bought up on Speculation as none of the purchasers can export it & they will either grow tired or fearfull of keeping it long on hand.

I have borrowed a good deal of Money here for the Service of the Secret Committee & must draw some orders on them to repay it, therefore you'l please to be prepared for these drafts and I shall Account for the Amount.

You cannot conceive how I am vexed & mortifyed to find after the deal of pains & trouble I have taken that the Randolph Frigate is still at the Piers & Ice making in the River but the Officers of that Ship show great reluctance to go away without being compleatly manned & that is not possible. She might have been at Sea before now had they exerted themselves for that purpose but they have had constantly in view to wait for more Men. This has its foundation in a Noble principle which has hindered me from complaining to the Marine Committee, altho I have scolded the officers like a Gutter-Whore for their dilatoriness; they say they wish to Fight & not to run. I tell them they must run untill they can fight.

There are a Number of Soldiers in the two New England Regiments now with Genl Washington whose time expire with this year & will not reinlist. They are chiefly Fishermen or Seafaring Peoples and I have wrote the General to prevail on all that will not Continue with him to come down here to Man our Frigates & they shall carry them home. I think [this] a good plan as we shall by that me[ans get] some of the Frigates Manned for [Sea] & before they carry the others home they may pick up Seamen from Prizes &c. I have little time but remain, Dr sir, Your Obedt hble servt.

Robt Morris