Philadelphia 8th Novr 1778
My Dear Sir
On my arrival here the 4th inst. I had the pleasure of receiving Your favor of the 31 Ulto at the hand of Our Mutual Friend Mr Adams. I Esteem myself highly Obliged by this token of Your remembrance, but should have been much Happier to have found you here. May I hope my loss will in some measure be made up by frequently hearing from you? which I flatter myself Your Retirement, will afford you opportunities of Gratifying me in.
You may be assured my attention will be much engaged in Marine Matters, & it will afford me perticular satisfaction to cooperate with you in that Business when you return here, which it is my sincere wish Your business may speedily admit of.1
I left Mr. Langdon very well the 20th Octo. He very peticularly desired his respects to you.
Please to make my most respectful Compliments to Your Good Lady, who I hope will so far retract her promise, as to give me an opportunity (when peace is happily Established) to introduce her to such persons in Portsmouth as will be very happy in having an opportunity of making a visit to that Cuntry agreeable to her.
I have taken up my Quarters at Liberty Hall where you know is a set, well agreed in Political Sentiments, & I think I may say with great certainty that they are as well agreed in sentimen[ts] of Esteem & Respect for you. I anticipate the pleasures of some long winter Evenings where with a Social pipe and Friendly Glass we shall call to mind our worthy Friend & Heartily join in wishing he may soon add to our little Circle.
I have nothing new at present to give you, whenever any thing happens that I think will give you pleasure be assured it will be a double pleasure to me to communicate it.
I am dear Sir with the utmost Sincerity, Most Respectfully Yours,Wm. Whipple2
Receiver’s copy, Lee Papers, American Philosophical Society.
1 Whipple had been appointed to the Marine Committee on 6 November. JCC, 12:1106. See also Samuel Adams to James Warren, 9 November 1778.
2 Lee’s 29 November 1778, response to this letter, written from Chantilly, Va., where he remained on leave from Congress until the following February, offers detailed advice to the Marine Committee on the disposition of the Continental Navy. The letter is in James Curtis Ballagh, The Letters of Richard Henry Lee, Volume 1, 1762 - 1778, 1:453 - 55. For a letter containing information on congressional affairs that Lee wrote soon after he returned home, dated "Chantilly Novr. 15th 1778" and directed to Gov. Patrick Henry, see ibid, pp. 451 - 53. In addition to the court-martial of Gen. Charles Lee and the depreciation of Continental currency, Lee explained to Henry the refusal of Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey to ratify the Articles of Confederation. "Maryland," Lee reported, "I fear will never come in whilst our claim remains so unlimited to the westward. They affect to fear our power, and they are certainly envious of the wealth they suppose may {low from this source - It is not improbable that the secret machinations of our enemies are at the bottom of this - Some of the most heated Opponents of our claim, say that if we would fix a reasonable limit, and agree that a new State should be established to the Westward of those limits, they would be content to confederate. What do you think Sir of our proposing the Ohio as a boundary to the Westward, and agreeing that the Country beyond should be settled for common good and make a new State on condition that compensation reasonable should be made us for Dunmores, Colo. Christians, and our late expedition. This might perhaps be agreed to and be taken well as coming freely from us.
When we consider the difficulty of republican laws and government piercing so far from the seat of Government and the benefit in point of oeconomy from having a frontier State to guard us from Indian wars and the expence they create, I cannot help thinking that upon the whole this would be our wisest course."