Yours of 23d March, was handed to me, this Evening by Major Ward. Your Letter from Plymouth by the Post,1 I duely received—and immediately wrote an answer to it, but upon reviewing it, afterwards, I found so many bold Truths in it that I concluded not to send it,2 lest Peradventure it should get into Hugh Gaines Gazette;3 and I thought it a Pitty that so many Sacred Truths, should appear in Company with so many infamous Lyes, as that Paper, ushers into the World, whenever it appears.

I am much obliged to you for your Sentiments, concerning the Navy. A Board I believe will be established at Boston—and a Commissioner, in each considerable Port in New England. Complaints, are frequently brought here, from Boston and from Providence, concerning the Continental Agents and other Officers. I am sorry for this, but cannot help it.4 At Providence, I fear, by what I have lately heard, there has been a System of selfishness, and at Boston of Incapacity. I had the Honour of belonging to the first Naval Committee, which set all our maritime Affairs agoing: and they did it with a Vigour, Assiduity and Dispatch, which precluded all Censure and Complaint: But I went home last December was twelve Month,5 and Advantage was taken of that opportunity one or two other Members being absent at the same Time, Coll Lee went home and Gadsden, and Langdon, and Deane was left out, to choose a new Committee, Since which there has been nothing but Languor, Censure and Complaint. Upon my Return they did me the Honour to put me upon the Board of War, which takes up my whole Time, every Morning and Evening, and renders it totally impossible for me, to look into the marine Department, which if I had Leisure to do, ignorant as I am of every Rope in the ship, I would perish if I did not put that Department in a respectable order. There is nothing wanting but some one Person, whose Vigour, Punctuality, and Constancy, should draw the Committee together every Morning and Evening, direct their Attention to the Object, and keep it fixed there. There are Gentlemen enough of the Committee who understand the Business, and the Board of Assistants are pretty well qualified and every Man upon the Continent, who knows any Thing of the subject might easily be induced, to contribute the Assistance of His Knowledge at least by Letter.

The Fracas, between 6 and McNeal had reached this Place before your Letter. Hope it will do good. Am glad to hear that our Quota is likely to be raised at any Rate. Send them along and let Us beat the Scoundrels, to Attoms, as I am Sure We can and shall. I am &c.

This Letter so full of myself, and so abusive to others, is intended barely to exculpate myself. I cannot bear any share of the Blame of the failures in the marine Department.

As nothing worthy your Attention has occurred since I had the pleasure of seeing you at Philadelphia except what you must have had from better Authority, I need rather appologize for troubling you with this, than for not having sooner improved your kind invitation of writing to you; when I left Philadelphia I hoped for an Oppurtunity of visiting Boston, but the Enemy begining to move I have given up that hope for the present. The letters you committed to my Care I sent by Doctor Samuel Whitwell1 who promissed to deliver them.

All the Bedding, Medicines and hospital Stores belonging to the eastern Department, (except a few at Fish-Kills) are collected at this place; the Nurses are employed in cleaning and mending the Bedding, and the Mates in assorting and preparing Medicines against the Campaign opens, wether I or any other shall enjoy the benifit of it is not of much importance to the publick, if that is served I shall not think it labour lost; but I much wish some plan was settled and known for the military medical Department, it would promote the enlistment of Soldiers, and 148might prevent some inconveniences perhaps not at present thought of by the honourable Congress.

When Complaints began to grow loud last fall that the Sick were not properly attended to, the State of Connecticut sent Doctor Phillip Turner2 a Gentleman emminent in his profession to see that the sick of that State were taken care of, soon after his arrival in the Camp at New York he was by Doctor Morgan then Director General appointed a Surgeon in the general Hospital, with a recommendation from the Director General to the State of Connecticut for an additional pay from that State, which was complied with and two Dollars per Day added to his continental pay; a recommendation of the same kind to the Massachusetts Assembly was proposed to me but I declined it; Doctor Turner was from that Time consider'd by many as Director for the State of Connecticut 'tho one of the youngest Surgeons in the Hospital; these Circumstances are not mentioned with the least Design to reflect on any Gentleman, but to shew the expediency of the Continental Congress settling some general plan for the military medical Department, and the Danger of delay least the respective States should make distinct establisments for their own Troops; a Step which if taken will be attended with many inconveniences some of which are very obvious; the expence (which must I suppose be finally borne by the united States) being unknown may be immense, Gentlemen who entered the service with disinterested views may be supersceded by others who in the begining did not chuse to risque any thing, and perhaps would never enter the service if they could make as much in any other way; he must be more or less than man who can bear this and continue in the service—the Regiments of each State must be kept together during the time of their enlistment, or else detatched Regiments must for want of a general provision suffer more than they have ever yet done. And even supposing all the American forces were to be collected and continue in one place, the different provision made by the several States as they might be more frugally or liberally inclined would necessarily beget such Jealousy and Heart-burning, as no friend to America can ever wish to see take place. I am with the sincerest respect and Esteem Your obedient and most humble Servant