Enclosed you will find the original letter written by the General. Mr. Hamilton, editor of the Lancaster Journal, informs me in his letter to me says, – "It was found among the papers of the late Dr. Smith of your City, and was handed to me by his son Charles Smith Esq" Mr. H. has not informed me to whom it was written, nor can it be discovered by the letter itself, but it may be fairly presumed it was addressed, under cover, to the late Rev. Dr. — I hope it may be useful. — 

I think you ought to be acquainted that Dr. Ramsay of Charleston is waiting for the Publication of the Life to correct revise & make additions to his Hist. of the Revolution. He makes means to take such facts as are not already in his possession. I know his intention to a certainty. How far will this violate the Copy-Right? — Notwithstanding I made arrangements with Stuart, long ago, to have the Portrait engraved from his original, I find he has not allowed the Engraver to commence. I acceded to his own proposal to pay him 100 50 Dollars, per thousand for the privielege of copying from the original in his possession & to pay Mr. Edwin, the Engraver, (who is connected with Stuart, & will not engrave the head without his leave) 100 Dollars each plate, which is 30 dollars more than the usual price, & a plate will not give but 2,000 Copies, notwithstanding yet, after all this I cannot get them to execute it. With respect to this I am pledged to the public & know not what to do to comply.

Mr. Wm. Poyntell of this City has purchased of Mr. Morgan one half of his purchase from you. They have applied to me about the plates engravings, but I will not permit mine to go out of my hands on any account, when I am possessed of them, untill I have they shall have had complete use of them unless I am compensated for copies. I hope you will bind down Messrs. Poyntell & Morgan, that they shall not on any pretext or in any possible way allow an English Copy to be brought to this country. The fact is they will be able to sell their books at a much lower price than it is possible for me to do. & altho my Copy right excludes them from this Country, & my privilege from the W. Indies; yet there are indirect means, I fear, by which they will be introduced here tho' not by either of the gentlemen who are the first have purchased the rights from you. They send [the] copy to England & what the conduct of their Agents may be, it is impossible to predict. I think it would be right to mention in the English Edition that the Copy right is [found] in America [&c].

You may recollect the you cautioned me against an agent of mine one David Poe, Jun. Up Marlboro Md. I have never recd. a cent from him; some of the Subscribers on his paper have written to me & I have requested them to demand from him the money they advanced: – he holds about 300 Dollars! –. I remain yours Sincerely