Sir/

I have Just recieved your Excellencys Letter of Yesterday, in which am charged of impressing Men into the service, and other ways Distressing the inhabitants of this State, I shall not undertake to dispute your Excellencys Authority for so accusing but shoud have thought it only consistant with the Justice those at the head of Affairs ought to exercise to given the person accused at least, a hearing before they undertook to Condemn, but am sorry to say this has not been the practice of this State respecting the Whig inhabitants of this Town lately. I do not pretend to plead the orders of Congress for what I have done, but will say, if I had not had reason to think Congress woud not disapprove of it, I shoud not have done it, And I beg leave to Assure your Excellency that it is now practiced every day in Philada and has been in some of the Northern States. I have heretofore flattered myself your Excellency knew me better than to [illegible] I woud wantonly sport with the Liberty and peace of any[one] and that had I been Guilty of what I am accused of, yo[ur] knowledge woud have imputed it to Necessity Alone. You [are] a Judge of the persons I ought to discharge. I can Assure y[our] Excellency I have no Man Aboard my ship that I know of, who is not a proper person to serve his Country and Unmarried. But shou'd I find any such persons upon A second examinat[ion] which I propose, humanity alone without your Excellencys orders will dictate their being put Ashore, In short Sir I thi[nk] I have done my duty to my Country and myself, and while I can plead that, I care not for the threats of any Council of Maryland.

I am yr Excellencys [&c.]