Philadelphia March 18 1777

My dear Miss Scollay

Your Favor of the 11th of Feb'y. By Mr. Bromfield
did not reach my hand till yesterday. I admire
your Fidelity to our departed Friend, discovered in
your unceasing Anxiety for the Education and future
Well-being of his Children. A few Days before I left
Boston in October last, I had an opportunity of convers-
ing with one of the Mr. Warrens upon the subject. I
told him what we had proposed for Miss Betsy; but there
seemed to be a Difficulty in removing her from the place
where she had been invited to live, upon the Love of Friend-
ship to her late father and had been treated with so
much civility and kindness. With request to the young-
est Son and Daughter, I mentioned my strong Desire that
they might be continued under your care; and that
means might be continued to have the eldest son sent
to Dummers School. I informed him that Master Moody
was a Man of great Benevolence of Heart and that his
warm Affection for the Father, would be a powerful Motive
with him to employ the utmost Attention in the education
of the Son. I urged these things with as much Freedom as
so delicate a Subject would admit if he expressed his
obligation and spoke of you in Terms of great Respect and
Friendship, which induced me to hope that the interview
would be attended with happy Effect. You know how
engaged I was in a multiplicity of affairs during my
short stay in Boston. I wished for opportunities of
rendering more substantial service to the orphans, but
it was not thus in my Power.

While I was in Baltimore, an opportunity presented
of making a Proposal, which, if agreed to, would be honorary to
my friend and beneficial to his Son. General Mercer having
been slain in Battle, or rather Barbarously murdered, a
Motion was made in Congress for a Monument to be
erected to his Memory, and that his youngest Son
should be educated at the Expense of the Continent.
I did not think my self partial in judging that the
services and Merit of General Warren considered as a
Patriot or as a Soldier were not inferior to those of General
Mercer, and therefore added to the Motion that the

same Honor should paid to his memory and that one of
this Sons should be educated -- I proposed the eldest. It
was agreed that my Motion should be first entered on the
Journal, and a Committee was appointed to consider
of them both. Congress soon after adjorned to this
Place. The gentlemen of the Committee are not all of them arrived.
I am persuaded it will be agreed to in the Committee, but as the
Determination in the House may be uncertain, I think it best
that it should not be made known abroad, till we see the event.

Dr. John Warren is now in this City. I have conversed with
him. I freely offered my opinion that the eldest Son should
be sent as speedily as possible to Dummers School and the two youngest Children remain with you. He heard
my opinion with great Candor and said he thought is a good
Proposal, and mentioned you with great Respect. With regard
to Betsy, the same Difficulty which was started in the Convena-
tion with his Brothers, laboured in his Mind. It is indeed a
Difficulty -- I observed to him that she was in a critical Time of Life,
and that I was well advised that the utmost Care would be taken of
her in your Fathers Family. He was of the same opinion, and
thought it best that the three children should be kept together.
As this conversation passed in the Time of the sitting of Congress,
I was obliged to break off sooner than I should otherwise have
done, not without sanguine Hopes that these Matters will
be concluded agreeable to your kind. Just a Conclusion, I
think will be most conducive to the Welfare of the Children of
my most valued absent friend. The Doctor will leave this
place for Boston today. I have not Leisure now to write by
him to my friends but expect to have an opportunity by Express in a few
Days when I intend to forward this. -- I shall then acknowledge a letter I lately received from you
Father! Please to present my friend by Regard to him and his
family, and to Mr. Savage for whom I have long had a cordial
Affection. Pray tell him that one of the South Carolina Gentlemen
was so obliging to me as to forward his letter to his Son with
his own by a safe hand.

Our friends will be glad to hear that we have this Day receiv'd
a very agreeable letter from Dr. Franklin in France -- The Vessel
which brought the Letter was taken near the Capes of Delaware,
having on board Fire Arms, Lead, Blankets and belonging to the
Continent, the Quantity of neither as yet ascertained -- This is
indeed a Misfortune, but we shall do very well for all.

I shall write to some of our particular Friends, upon the Subject
which you have so much at Heart, and wish to be honored with
the Continuance of your Letters -- You must believe me to be with
great Sincerity your Friend and humble Servant

Samuel Adams

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