I have received the box of letters by the steam boat.

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. — 

Mr. Marshall requests that you will endeavour to procure for him from the editor of the Lancaster Journal or of the federal paper in that place the original letter from Genl Washington, which he has published.

Your letter of the 3d. inst. I have received, and hope that my acknowledgment of one or both of your former letters has reached you before this. If I have not been as punctual in answering letters for a month past as usual, the painful sickness & death of Major Blackburn to whom my whole time was devoted must be my apology.