Since my last to you I have received your two favors of May 31 and June 14th. I could find no papers whatever relating to Mr David M. Randolph's case. I wrote to him on the subject immediately.

Enclosed you have a copy of three of Genl Washington's letters to Genl Andrew Lewis, according to your request; they are all I can find, but they do not seem to meet your views. 

I duly recd your favor of the 4th from Phila. and within a few days thereafter, I had the balance of the papers packed in a box, and sent to Alexandria, where they arrived Just in time to be put on board to the schooner Alexandria as she was leaving the wharf. I shall not feel entirely at ease until I hear of the safe arrival of both parcels, which be so good as to announce to me as soon as the event is known. 

Since I left Mount Vernon, it has forcibly occurred to me, that it will be best to have all the letters received by General Washington sent to Boston. Those remaining are comparatively unimportant, but I shall occasionally wish to refer to them, and the inconvenience of not having them at hand will be much greater than the trouble of shipping them. You will observe that they are all contained in the case next to the outer door, and are tied up with brown paper over the ends of the parcels and lettered.

Under the act of the 5th of June 1794, for punishment of certain crimes, the ship "Union,"¹ which had been fitted as a privateer in James river, was arrested by due process of law, in consequence of special orders of President Washington to Henry Lee Governor of Virginia, the conduct of Mr David M. Randolph, Marshal of that district, was on that occasion approved of by Genl Washington, as signified by him in a letter to Governor Lee about the month of July or Augt 1794, and his thanks to the marshal were communicated to him accordingly by the Governor.

As you pass through New York, you will please call upon Mrs Hamilton & recieve from her the original letters from Genl Hamilton to Genl Washington, which I sent her some years ago to have copied. This letter will be considered as an authority for their delivery to you. With great esteem I am very respectfully dear Sir yr mo. ob. servt

your favor of the 7th is this moment recd, and in two hours from this, I expect to be on my road to Mt Vernon— Avoiding any unxpected impediments, I hope to be at Mt V. at dinner on Wednesday the 16th.

In great haste I have only time to add that I am Dr Sir very sincerely & respectfully yrs

Your favor of the 29th ultimo has reached me, and I need not say that I am gratified with your consent to have the papers removed, on the conditions stated in my last letter. I have, also, received an answer from Chief Justice Marshall, which accords so entirely with yours that I consider the arrangement as now settled.

I recd yesterday a letter from the Chief Justice prior to his rect of mine, and written in consequence of the one which you had addressed to him. He observes, that he thinks it impossible for you to execute the work you contemplate upon the plan proposed without the facility of frequent recurrence to the papers. I am pleased to find that we so entirely concur in opinion on that subject without previous consultation. You are therefore at liberty to prepare for packing up the books & papers, and to proceed to the completion of the work as soon as you please.

Since the rect of your favor of the 17th inst. I have had every moment of my time so intensely employed in attending to a cause of peculiar interest & perplexity that I could not withdraw my mind from it with sufficient freedom to devote it usefully to other business. This must be my apology for my long silence.

The difficulty you mention of progressing with your work whilst the papers continue at Mount Vernon presented itself to my mind at the time when your first proposition was made, & it was that which mainly operated with me to decline that offer.

By a letter just received from the Chief Justice, I find that he has had in his possession the copies you mentioned of General Washington's letters during the French war, which he has sent to Alexandria. My doubts on this subject are thus cleared up. 

He informs me, moreover, that he has sent a volume of letters for the year 1787, which he had retained by accident. The third volume of Orders does not yet come to light.