I have to acknowledge the rect of your letter of the 6th of Augt which having had to trail after me from Alexa. to this part of the state did not reach me till long after its date.

     I left Mt Vernon in July and after spending the inter<ven>ing time in our mountainous Country, I arrived at this place the day before yesterday— Your favor of the 7th followed, but did not overtake me until well in the last hour.

     Your letter of the 26th Jany was delivered to me by Mr Just. Story & I owe you an apology for the delay which has taken place in answering it. The truth is that at the living under the same roof the important cases which the Judges have had to examine & discuss in conference diverted the attention of the C. Justice & myself from the subject insomuch that it is but lately that we had an opportunity of conversing upon it.

With this I send you a letter for Judge Washington, and another for Judge Marshall. I have referred them both to you for any further explanations they may desire. You are already so thoroughly possessed of my views and plans, that I have nothing more to say as to the main points. I am sure, if Judge Washington can be brought to see the thing in all its bearings, he will not withhold his approbation; and the business certainly could not be in better hands than your own.

Agreably to Your kind Request I Return the Original Letters which You Have Been pleased to Intrust to me. this first Invoice by the Cadmus Captain Allyn, Under Cover to the president, Contains only the letters Re<mutilated>e to the Virginia Campaign, 1781, the others which are Not Yet Copied shall be forwarded by the Other packet.

On my return from Fauquier a few days past I received the copy of a letter addressed to you by Mr Sparks respecting the removal of the papers of General Washington to Boston. As a decision on that proposition rests exclusively with yourself my first intention was not to intrude any opinion of mine upon you.

Your kind favor of the 9th instant has been received, and I am much gratified with the expressions of confidence with which you honor me.

Your letter of the 21st has just reached me. I am astonished at the failure of my letter in answer to that which contained the proposition of Mr Sparks. I answered the day of its reception and expressed unequivocally my opinion that his offer should be accepted. In addition to the obvious reasons for accepting it stated by yourself I suggested others of a nature somewhat delicate which I would not willingly submit to any eye but yours.

I recd your letter of the 2d inst. in Phila. but was prevented, by a severe indisposition, from answering it from that place, and even now, I can do no more than repeat the undiminished confidence I feel in your ability to execute the work in the best possible manner, and in your fidelity to bring it out in a way most¹ advantageous for the pecuniary interest of the parties concerned consistently with our contract —

I left Mt Vernon in July, and after spending the intervening time in our mountainous country, I arrived at this place the day before yesterday. Your favor of the 7th inst. followed, but did not overtake me until within the last hour.