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REPLY TO NEW YORK.

Boston, 7th February, 1775. Philip Livingston, Esq., and Messrs. C. McEvers & Co. (New York.) GENTLEMEN,

Your esteemed favors of 16th December, addressed to John Hancock and John Rowe, Esqrs., also your favor 30th ultimo, directed to John Rowe, Esq., have been communicated to the Committee appointed by the Town of Boston to receive Donations for the relief and employment of the unhappy sufferers by the Port Bill, who have directed us to answer them.

We observe by your favor 16th December, that you had completed the sales three hundred and seventy-five tierces rice, which you sometime since received from our worthy, sympathizing brethren at Charleston, South Carolina, the net proceeds to be applied for the support, &c., of the dis tressed, industrious tradesmen and others in this Town, and that you had more lately received from the same place, one hundred and three tierces rice, the net proceeds thereof to be applied to the like benevolent purposes.

We should be much obliged, gentlemen, if you would favor us with an account of what monies you may have in hand from the sales of the rice, in order that the Committee may be enabled to draw for the same, provided they can find purchasers for their bills.

We are also to desire you would let us know the value with you of sterling bills on London, and would beg leave to ask whether you think it practicable to invest the whole monies in heavy guineas and hard dollars, so that it might be brought here by land carriage without loss. Any bills that you have already or may hereafter procure on Boston, the Committee will gladly receive.

We are to request your answer, as soon as may be convenient, which when we receive shall communicate to the Committee, and acquaint you in due time with their deter minations.

We have it, gentlemen, in particular charge from the Committee, to return you their hearty thanks for the kind

and friendly part you have taken in this affair, which we now do with great pleasure, and are, very respectfully,

Gentlemen, your most obedient, humble servants,

JOHN BROWN,
DANIEL WALDO,

Two of the Committee of Donations.

1441

LETTER FROM CHESTERFIELD COUNTY.

GENTLEMEN,

Virginia, Chesterfield County, 17th Dec., 1774.

Agreeable to a Resolution entered into by the Delegates of this Colony in August last, subscriptions have been made for the unhappy inhabitants of Boston, whose case we look upon as our own, and cannot enough admire their fortitude under such cruel oppression as they, for their own and the common cause of America, have and are yet suffering. We now send to your address the donation of our constituents, which we make no doubt you will have properly disposed of to such as are objects of charity. It would have been sent sooner, but we could not procure a vessel until grain for the same purpose was brought in from Counties more remote, as what was subscribed in this County was not sufficient for a load; indeed our county grain is not yet all brought in, so that we expect to send it with what is not yet brought down from the upper people; but as we have not all the subscription papers in our possession, we cannot ascertain how much is left, but judge about two hundred bushels.

The bill of lading inclosed is for 1,436 bushels, but of that there is 210 bushels of wheat and 12 of corn, delivered in our granary by the people of Cumberland, and by mistake a receipt taken and bills of lading given as from Chesterfield. There was but little money subscribed; what was we have paid the captain in part for his freight. The captain has said in his bill of lading that the whole freight is here paid, but it is not so, and you are desired to sell as much of the grain as will pay the balance. Inclosed you

have an account of what is paid. We are told the freight is rather high. As we were not accustomed to that branch of business, we left it to Mr. John Tabb, to make the agree ment with the owner of the vessel, and he agreed to give one shilling this currency per bushel. We understand there is about 3,500 bushels in this vessel from the several Counties nigh this. We are desired to inform you that there is on board 192 bushels of wheat, a donation from the people of Goochland County, the freight of which is paid here. We flatter ourselves you will excuse the trouble we give you on this occasion. It is a tribute you must pay to the high confidence your countrymen have placed in you, by which your characters are made known to us.

We are, Gentlemen, with the greatest esteem, your obedient, humble servants,

ARCHIBALD CARY.
BENJA. WATKINS.

To the Honorable Thomas Cushing, Esq., Jno. Adams, Esq., Mr. Samuel Adams and Robert Treat Paine, Esqs., Boston.

REPLY TO CHESTERFIELD COUNTY.

February 1, 1775.

Messrs. Benja. Watkins and Archibald Cary, Chesterfield County, Virginia.

GENTLEMEN,

Capt. Tompkins duly delivered your letter, dated Vir ginia, Chesterfield County, Dec. 1774, directed to Mr. Cushing, Mr. John Adams, Mr. Paine and myself, with a bill of lading inclosed for 1,054 bushels of wheat, 376 bushels corn, and five bushels peas, of which 210 bushels wheat, and 12 corn we perceive comes from the people of Cumberland. As this Town have appointed a Committee to receive and distribute donations made for the relief and employment of the sufferers by the Boston Port Bill, for which charitable purpose these donations of your constitu ents are appropriated, your letter and the bill of lading are assigned to them, and in their name I am now to desire you to accept of their grateful acknowledgments for the benev

olent part you have taken, and also to make their returns of gratitude to the worthy gentlemen of Chesterfield and Cumberland County, for the very generous assistance they have afforded for the relief of the inhabitants of Boston, yet suffering, as you express it, under cruel oppression for the common cause of America. It is a sense of the dignity of the cause which animates them to suffer with that fortitude which you are pleased candidly to attribute to them; and while they are thus encouraged and supported by the sister Colonies, they will, by God's assistance, rather than injure or stain that righteous cause, endure the conflict to the utmost.

The Committee have received 192 bushels of wheat, mentioned in your letter, as a donation from the people of Goochland County. You will greatly oblige the Committee if you will return their hearty thanks to their generous friends in that County.

I am, with truth and sincerity, Gentlemen, your respectful friend and humble servant,

SAM'L ADAMS.

GENTLEMEN,

REPLY TO CHATHAM.

Boston, December 17th, 1774.

Sensible of the many obligations that we are under for the many acts of kindness received from our kind and sympathizing brethren in Connecticut, and in particular for the kind donation received from our worthy brethren in Chatham, of ten sheep, which we esteem as expressive of the most endearing friendship and tender regard, and it is with pleasure we now take this agreeable opportunity of making some grateful return, which, though inadequate to so great kindness, yet it is all in our power, but hope the Parent of nature and of every good, will reward you.

Our situation is truly distressing; families that have lived in the greatest affluence are now reduced to the most

disagreeable circumstances; and was it not for the sympa thy manifested by our worthy brethren in the other Colo nies, we must have fallen a prey to a most cruel and arbitrary ministry; but, through God's goodness, the hearts of our brethren are open, which animates us to persevere, though under the severest trials, and makes us determined to risk even life itself rather than give up our rights and privileges.

We should have esteemed it as a great pleasure to have seen the gentleman who brought us your kind donation, in order that he might have seen our books, and the method we take of relieving the necessities of our distressed inhab itants, which perhaps would have been satisfactory. How ever, we herewith inclose you a printed copy of our pro ceedings.

We are, Gentlemen, with the greatest esteem, your very obliged friends and countrymen,

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To the Selectmen, to be communicated to the Committee of Corres pondence in Chatham, in Connecticut.

Per favor Major Champlin.

LETTER FROM HENRICO COUNTY.

GENTLEMEN,

As soon as [we] were informed of the unjustifiable attack made on the liberties of our worthy brethren, the Bostonians, the County of Henrico set about a subscription for the relief of the poor of its inhabitants. Lest necessity should prevent their giving their noble leaders such assist ance as is most sincerely and unanimously wished for by every Virginian, therefore take the freedom to inclose you bills of lading for three hundred twenty-nine and one half bushels wheat, one hundred and thirty-five bushels com and twenty-three barrels flour, which we wish safe to hand and we doubt not your giving the necessary instructions

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