Dr. Benjamin Church, Spy by John A. Nagy

Author:John A. Nagy [Nagy, John A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781594165665
Publisher: Westholme Publishing

Colonel Warren communicated your letter which you sent him yesterday, affirming that General Washington was exceedingly affronted at my sending to Philadelphia a copy of Dr. Church’s letter, that I ought to have known better than to have interfered in a matter in which I have not been consulted, to have seen the impropriety of copying a letter intrusted in confidence to another person and that I had just as much right to have taken the original; all of which must appear highly injurious and if not supported by reason and grounded on facts to be meer invective, rendered the more unjustifiable by the manner in which it was conveyed.

With respect to the letter of Doctor Church’s referred to, hearing Sunday morning that it was intercepted and wrote in cipher, and knowing the Colonel Porter was expert in deciphering, I desired him (as every friend of America had a right to do) to offer to the General [George Washington] his services for the purpose mentioned, but did not apply in person, or by any other conduct give you an opportunity of asserting as you ungenerously have that I interfered in a matter in which I had not been consulted. When the letter was sent here on Monday evening Colonel Porter informed me of it, and showed it without ever a suspicion that it was intrusted in confidence as is unreasonably represented in your letter to Colonel Warren.

In consequence of which and being somewhat acquainted with deciphering I continued with him until the business was finished agreeable to his desire. He had no objection to my taking a copy and the person who wrote it having contrary to directions taken a second copy it was immediately recovered and delivered to Colonel [Thomas] Mifflin who promised to hand it to the General and take no other without his leave.

I think it must now appear that the copy of the letter came properly into my hands; that the sending it to some particular gentleman of Congress cannot effect the trial of Doctor Church or with any propriety be considered an affront to the General.61

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