It was with much anxiety and concern that I learnt from mrs Johnson the outrageous attack which was made upon you by mr duncanson, and the dissagreable circumstance of your being Badly wounded. I hope however from What I yesterday heard that the concequences of the wound will not prove so bad as was apprehended. mr Greenleaf call’d yesterday to inquire what intelligence I had received. he spoke like a friend and felt like a Brother I related to him the circumstances as detaild by the pen of mrs Johnson who was exceeding iritated & hurt at the event. I wisht however to See some person from whom I could lean the state of Parties and Character of the persons— I applied to mr Stodard who conversed very fully with me and satisfied me, that to steer between them requires great skill and management. No person would wish an other to Speak in higher terms of approbation and praise of the Honour integrity impartiality & concilitary disposition of an other than mr stodard did of my Nephew and mr stodard if I justly estimate him possesses all those qualities him Self. it was very ungentlemanly and 186 Rascally to attack a Man merely for his being Professionally engaged in the service of his attagonist the Law must decide upon the Equity of the dispute between the Parties—

I cannot say but that I felt hurt that Mr Dalton should tender himself as Bondsman— a respectable one he is and is therefore I trust the more honorable security for the good behaviour of Duncanson of whose Party to whom I hear he has attachd himself I know you too well to suppose you can harbour any lasting Enimity and I trust you will as you have done stear as clear as possible of all Paty animosity and bitteness, in all cases consistant with what You owe to yourself, strive to heal animosities and soften Passions, to do good even to those who despightly use you and Percecute you. I do not mean by this that the Law ought not to have its full course and that as a Man unjuctly injured, you ought to have justice done you.

I hope this will be Mrs Cranch—study also. where a city is divided against itself, it must come to mine and it is to be regreeted that at the commencment of Private interest should So embroil Friends and Neighbours. I lament that mrs Johnson should be fixt down in the very focuse & Hot bed of dissention. I believe no part of America is so circumstanced, having lived in a Country where one neighbour does not trouble an other, nor even know them, it must be the more unpleasent to her— I would advise all my friends to hear see & as far as possible to be silent

Whilst I am writing a Letter is brought me from mrs Johnson, with the pleasing intelligence of your recovery so far as to think of sitting out upon a jouney—1 I hope you will not be too soon; Some accounts have reachd this city of the affair. all of them criminate duncanson— tho some say that he is really injured by mr L—— & R——

I received a Letter from your mother this morning the family were well. I dared not in my last Letters hint the affair to her—2 I shall now give her an account of it—

My Love to mrs Cranch tell her I hope Louissa will meet with as kind a friend in Berlin as a reward for the interest her amiable mother takes in Mrs Cranchs and your situation— I presume mrs Cranch will find a Mother & sisters in your absence. I hope the Washington Family will be gratified with the cordiality which subsists & has never known an interruption between the Late & Present President. I assure you that the invitation will be cordially accepted, and a great relief it will be to the President What can be the occasion of Thorntons animosity to the President. he never injured 187 or offended him— he is the only one of the three who are not personally known—3

I begin my Letter by saying that mr Cranch was so much better on the 7th, the date of mrs Johnsons last Letter, as to conclude to go to the Court the next day— I would not make a long preparation to allarm or distress you, or write you a word upon the subject untill mrs Johnsons 2d Letter came for I would not have you feel as I did, upon reading the first part of hers of the 4 of july. upon any account, I veryly thought I should drop it before I found out the cause— to save a long detail I inclose you her Letters tho there are several confidential communications in them which you will not permit to go out of your Hands. perhaps you may have received a Letter from Nancy with more particulars. I know when mr Cranch was here, he gave me some accounts of the Party quarrels and animosities, but said he had been happy enough to keep clear of them— You will learn by mrs Johnsons Letter that in taking mr Cooks buisness, he was engaged for mr Cooks clients, and mr Ray being one of them, he was also engaged in his buisness. this it seems was the cause of duncansons animosity against him. duncanson is a scotchman who had held a command in the East Indies and came 188 over to this country when mr Law did. I saw them both frequently at col smiths in Nyork the summer I made a visit there. Ray is an Englishman. the dispute between them is concerning a vessel which they fitted out for the East Indies coverd as American Property, but which was taken by the English upon suspicion that she belongd to British Subjects—and Ray pleads that tho a partner, he became so after the vessel was purchasd duncanson thinks himself cheated by Law & Ray, and has been hardly used as dispassionate people say, but the quarrel has arrived at such a pitch as to throw all George Town into two strong Parties— Property in the federal city in different parts of it, is an other source of contention. I really pitty mrs Johnson who is come into the very heart of contention, and will judge of All America, I fear from what she sees & hears round her. the warm interest she has taken in behalf of mr Cranch who is inded the much injured Man, makes her too deeply interested as a Partisan with the Ray, & Law, people—

I was surprizd to find mr dalton becomeing Bail for duncanson, but suspect he had a family reason for it. indeed intemperate and unjustifiable as duncanson was towards mr Cranch he is said to be much injured, and kept out of money due to him, by his opponents, but he should have waited untill the Law decided— a responsible Bondsman is no disgrace to the injured Party, and I cannot see it in the light which it appeard to mrs Johnson when in her warmth & agitation, She wrote first. you will see there were heavey Bonds required

I could not know the state of things to my satisfaction, untill I sent for mr stodard the secretary of the Navey who is a man of great modesty worth and integrity. he came from George Town and he conversed freely upon the subject with me, giving me the true state of the Parties— he spoke in high terms of the fair & honorable Character which mr Cranch sustaind, and particularly of his Prudence in keeping himself clear of party animosities.— I found that he himself and two others were the only persons who had not taken their sides— I have just been writing to mr Cranch. mr Greenleaf came in great distress to me yesterday, having got by Rumour a report of the matter he talkd like a friend, and felt like a Brother— he looks very well and so does his dear Nancy—1

I received a Letter from you this day.2 Congress will rise on Monday next. the House I mean, the senate will yet remain in session. the appointment of officers cannot be made without them, I mean Gen’ll officers and the secretary of war cannot get back untill next week 189 from mount vernon. the President would not nominate any other officer untill he received an answer from Gen’ll Washington.3 Return my Letters as soon you have read them. the weather is now delightfull. I find that it was as hot at Nyork & Baltimore & Boston as here— I thought it would have killd me for, I was not well and the heat added to the pressure of my complaints. we were happily relieved on Twesday afternoon by Rain and wind—since which the weather has been agreable. I long however to see my friends, those which remain to me, should be doubly dear and precious— O that I could slide along to them, unnoticed and without Parade.

I presume William shaw will be with you. I have sent him a white waistcoat pattern by mrs otis. You will take charge & have it made— I sit my Heart upon going to commencment this year; but the publick would not let me4

I have heard from Atkinson, but I get no comfort or consolation. that poor Girl has in my mind been sacrificd by a wrong management by her Physicians in the first instance if she had been early Bled—she might have been saved. at least that is my sentiment, tho I would distress her mother by saying so. I think there is no doubt that an Abscess is forming in her side—

I shall want you to procure me some stores. I will give you notice and send you money for the purpose— I am my dear sister affectionatly your