Dear Sir, The sudden & unexpected departure of your express prevented us from [struck: addressing] writing to you on the subject of [his] mission. We cannot but express our [inserted: warm] disapprobation at the conduct of Major Gibbs, so far as we are acquainted with the circumstances, & for that Reason should be very averse from taking on ourselves the payment of his debt, [inserted: & thus rewarding an act which we are constrained to condemn] for this we consider as the inevitable consequence of signing a bail bond notwithstanding the opinion of Mr Edwards to the contrary. but We [inserted: have] another objective as it respects your future Situation; if the payment of that [text loss] [would] have the desirable effect of liberating you from [text loss]ur embarrassments, difficult as it is at this time to procure specie, we would do every thing in our power to effect it, but the inevitable consequence of paying Mr Gibbs would be the adoption of similar measures by many of your other creditors, in expectation of relief from your friends, & they would be [inserted: more] obstinate in their measures after [struck: one instance of] this success of one of your creditors than otherwise they would be. We therefore are clearly of opinion Mr Gibbs ought not at all events to be benefited [inserted in margin: by his [struck: manouvre] manoeuvre & that now is the time to put a stop to such procedures - We shall be happy to supply you with any monies necessary for your expences whilst at Hartford & have written to our friends in Boston to discountenance Mr Gibbs conduct & prevail with him to abandon it - [We are a [2] Mr Gerry presents his compliments to the Honble Mr King & submits to his consideration the propriety of [uniting] with the Secretary at War in a letter to Mr Tracy, similar to the draft inclosed, his remarks on which he will please to make & inclose the [inserted: whole] to the Secretary Thursday 2d March In Congress. [address leaf] Honble Mr King & General Knox Member of the Senate