Morris, Robert

Letter signed ("Robt Morris"), 2 pages plus integral address leaf (9 x 7 3/8 in.; 228 x 187 mm), to Cesar Rodney, docketed in a contemporary and again in a later hand on address leaf; formerly folded, address leaf detached with seal tear and a few mends

See C. Rappleye, Robert Morris (2010), p. 208

The "financier of the revolution" profits again.

In May 1780, the Spanish fleet arrived in Havana just when hurricanes had destroyed the usual stocks of flour in Mexico and the Caribbean. Luzerne, the leader of the French delegation in Philadelphia, was enlisted as an intermediary to transmit an urgent request for flour, and though busy trying to provision French and American forces, Congress granted a special dispensation to export 3000 barrels to Havana. Robert Morris (1734-1806) was given exclusive franchise to arrange the shipments.

In the present letter he writes to the Governor of Delaware, Cesar Rodney (1728-1784) for permission to export the flour from Wilmington: "Sometime since at the request of their Excell[enc]ys the Governor of Havannah and the Minister of France here I agreed to buy and ship for the Havannah a Quantity of Flour intended to supply the forces of His Catholick Majesty in the West Indias — Upon the application of his Exc[ellen]cy the Chev[alie]r de la Luzerne to the Hon[ora]ble Congress they were pleased to reccommend to the Executive Authority of the State of Maryland to permit the Exportation of 3000 barrells of Flour ... One of the vessells however which was intended to carry it being chased by the enemy into the Delaware arrived at Wilmington and that the original plan might not be retarded ... I have thought it proper to pray your Excell[enc]ys Permission to Export in the Sch[oone]r Genl. Scott now at Wilmington the quantity of flour originally intended to have been shipped by her from Baltimore ..."