Dear Sir, Baltimore Sunday Febry. 9th. 1777

I am favour’d with yours from Boston of Januy. 12th.1 & you have my thanks for yor. Remembrance of me and mine. I wrote you under Cover to Mr. Cushing, which hope you Rec’d. By this Oppory. a Sum of Money is Sent to the Pay Master in Boston for the Recruiting Service, & to Our state on Accott. of Advances for continental purposes 333,3331/3 Dollrs. & 30,000 Dollrs. to Mr. Cushing for the Marine Departmt. The Removal of Congress from Philada. & the consequent Stagnation of all Business for a Season occasion’d the Delay to this Time. By the Waggon that carries this Money I Send your Trunk, in the exact State I Rec’d it. I have committed it to the Care of four Gentn. who take Charge of the Money, & have directed it to the Care of Mr. Cushing with orders to keep it untill he hears from you. Col. Whipple who has always been an Active Member on the Cannon Come. desires me to Tell you that you Carried off the important papers belonging to that Come. He was Apprehensive they were in this Trunk & wish’d me to open it, but I declin’d it.

My Friend, if possible I am more busily Engag’d than ever. Mr. Morris remaining at Philada. makes me more Business on the Marine Come. We 348have this day (tho’ Sunday) been engag’d in dispatching Arm’d Vessells with Transports of Troops to the Counties of Somerset & Worcester whose Inhabitants have Risen Arm’d in Opposition to our Cause, have Erected the King’s Standard, & are supported by several of the King’s Ships, but I trust I shall soon give you a good Accott. of this Expedition.2 Mr. John Adams & Mr. Lovell have Arriv’d here, that we are now five strong.

Your information with respect to the Farmer3 is so far true, that he wrote his Brother to desist from taking the Contel. Money, but he is not gone over to the Enemy. I am told he has made fair weather with the Council of Safety at Philada. Stockton it is said, & truly has Rec’d General How’s protection. Mr. Byers is now Employ’d. Magazines are Erecting in Brookfield & Carlile as also Elaboratories. Major Coren to have the Conduct of the one at Carlile, with a proper Artillery Company under his own Direction to be employ’d in the Various Branches. I inclose you two Letters directed to you which I open’d as knowing them on publick matters. I beleive you will Excuse me. I Took a Copy of a Letter on Cannon Business with a View to send it you, but as I am now so pinch’d for time cannot look it up. You shall have it in my next.

I wish you to write me often. Give a Letter to Mr. Bant. He will forward. My little Wife & Little Lydia with all Friends are well. My best Respects to your Lady & all Enquiring Friends, & beleive me very truly, Your Real Friend,

John Hancock

RC ; addressed: “To The Honl. Robert Treat Paine Esqr. at Boston or Taunton Recommended to the care of Mr. Cushing. John Hancock”; endorsed.

1.

Not located.

2.

On the Loyalist insurrection in Maryland, see Ronald Hoffman, A Spirit of Dissension: Economics, Politics, and the Revolution in Maryland (Baltimore, 1973), esp. 196–205.

3.

John Dickinson (1732–1808), see above.