I return you, my dear Sir, my sincere thanks for your favor of the 6th Ulto, and particularly for the kind and friendly interest which you are so good as to take in the Safety of myself & family during the late invasion of this part of the Country by the Enemy. I am happy to have it in my power to say that I escaped in person and property all kind of injury and loss. The squadron lay off this place some days in its ascent and on its return, and yet I do not believe that during the whole time a single barge approached this Shore. This distinguished forbearance I owe to the generous feelings of Commodore Gordon for a place which had once been the residence of my venerated Uncle. He expressed to one of the Alexandria Commissioners, who was deputed to stipulate for the Safety of that town, an anxious desire to visit this Spot, but was so delicate as to declare his resolution not to do so, presuming that my official Situation would render such a Step peculiarly embarrassing & disagreable to me. He f<ur>ther added that he would commit no act of hostility injurious to this place even although the militia should make their appearance on it. I have much reason to thank him for such sentiments & conduct, and should it ever be my good fortune to see him in peace here or elsewhere, I should be proud to give him proofs of my gratitude.

     The two actions between this Squadron and Porter's & Perry's batteries, and the destruction & unresisting abandonment of the fort opposite this place, so disgraceful to the U.S. all took place within our view, and excited the most lively emotions. Nothing could exceed the astonishment which one of the British officers stated to have been excited in the squadron at the blowing up of the magazine at the fort. They proceeded towards it with great caution, expecting, as I understood, to lose many men & perhaps some of their vessels before they could pass or take it; and when the explosion took place, they supposed it had been produced by one of their shells. But it could not have been defended from a cause unknown to the Enemy—There were not more men in the fort than were sufficient to fight three guns. <H>ad that place been defended by 4 or 500 soldiers acquainted with their business, & two or three hulks sunk in the channel, which is very narrow, I am persuaded that this squadron would never have reached the much & most unjustly censured town of Alexa.— But the abandonment of this defence, & the total absence of all other protection, left no other alternative for that town but to treat for the best terms they could obtain. The terms at first imposed by Com. Gordon were severe; but he voluntarily relinquished the most oppressive in practice, and save the loss of 12 or 15000 barrels of sour flour, out of about 250.000 which it is said were in the warehouses & about 1000 Hogshds of Tobacco with about 25 vessels large & small, the Citizens suffered no injury in their property or persons. The most perfect good order was maintained, and no instance occurred of any person being insulted in the Streets or intruded upon in his house. Thus much Justice requires me to say of those men, tho enemies. Mrs Washington remained at home unapprehensive of any danger, & many of our female friends were with us, all of them greatly interested as you may suppose in the military operations within their view.

     Although near the Seat of Government, I never go there except at the meeting of the Supreme Court, and of course, I can give you no news of our public affairs transacting there, which you will not derive from the papers. God grant that the deliberations of our great national councils there assembled may result in saving our country from the ruin which threatens from without and within. But I greatly fear that the expedients proposed & now under discussion are illy calculated to promote this end. The clouds which are gathering in the East alarm me more than all other dangers united. The disunion of the States was the Calamity which I most apprehended as likely to result from the declaration of this disastrous war. Should the Convention at Hartford end in nothing beyond a recommendation of the meeting of a general Convention for reforming the constitution I shall be greatly relieved, nor should I object to any amendments which should give the eastern States a fair & equal representation and which should confine the limits of the government to such as they existed at the time the constitution was formed. Both of the amendments which you mention would meet with my hearty concurrence, as I am satisfied that the united interests of this nation demand a President from some one of the Commercial States. I believe that we owe all our present & past sufferings to the anticommercial principles which have influenced the heads of our executive for the last 14 years. But I cannot flatter myself that the object of the proposed meeting is so confined. The direction of the Legislature of that State where steady habits so preeminently prevail, to be called together in case the conscription law should pass, indicates a temper not very auspicious to the Union of the States. This rash law has passed the Senate, and no doubt is <en>tertained of its success in the lower house. In short every thing that has happened of late & which is about to take place seem calculated to hasten forward the awful ruin which is impending over us. Nothing but a speedy peace can in my Opinion avert the fatal catastrophe.

     I turn, my dear Sir, with pleasure from these dreary contemplations to congratulate you upon the comfort which your domestic life must afford you. Your Children advantageously settled, or advancing in the path which leads to their future happy establishment in life, cannot fail to bestow upon you & Mrs D. the highest consolation. May your fondest expectations of them be realized to the full!

     Mrs W. is in much better health than when you saw her. She unites with me in the most friendly remembrances to you Mrs D. & your daughter, for whom we felt a very strong partiality— Believe me my dear Sir very truly your Affect. Servt