Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

The Army of the United States being dis=
banded, it is become unnecessary to keep up a Hospital at a
great expence any longer in this City, and Orders have been
given by the Commander in Chief to the Baron Steuben
for breaking it up. The Baron has taken arrangements
for compleating this Business by the end of this Month,
Provided the Managers of the Pennsylvania Hospital
will consent to receive such of the Patients as cannot be dis-
:charged, Doc^r T Bond Jun^r. was desired to make applica-
:tion to the Managers and on my part was Authorized to assure
them that so long as I remain in this Office they may de=
:pend upon Receiving in Quarterly payments to the sum
which may be agreed for. I am this Morning informed by the
Doct^r that the application has been made by him to you
Gentⁿ and that you have refused to Receive those poor
and unfortunate Soldiers who have lost their Health in
the Service of their Country. The reasons of this refusal
he does not know, but least a diffidence of the payment may
be amongst the Number I have thought proper to Repeat
the Assurance in writing which he was verbally Author=
ized to make that you shall be paid punctually every
three Months whilst I continue in Office the Sum which
shall be agreed on; I think it also my Duty to observe on
this Occasion, that your Refusal ought to be grounded on
such reasons as will justify you in the Public
opinion for putting the United States to a heavy Expence
which by your assent may be rendered unnecessary, and
the more so as your Constituents must be Taxed for a
considerable part of that expence, I hope however that
you will Consent to Receive these unfortunate Men
on reasonable Terms and if you desire it I will in
my Official Capacity enter into the needful Stipula=
tions. __

The Managers of the
Hospital

From Robert Morris
26 Nov 1783