To Alexander Hamilton from William Greene, 9 March 1796
From William Greene1
New York, March 9, 1796. States his determination to abide by whatever opinion Hamilton “should form” in “the case of Messr. John Calogan & Sons.”2 Discusses his dispute with the firm of Shaw and Randall3 over a cargo of wine and the writ issued against him for £10,000 damages.
ALS, Hamilton Papers, Library of Congress.
1. Greene, a native of England, was a New York City merchant with an extensive overseas trade. See William Bradford and H to Edmund Randolph, November 4, 1794.
2. On April 23, 1796, the New York Supreme Court ordered the sheriff to produce Greene within four days to answer as defendant in a case brought by Thomas and Bernard Cologon (MS Minutes of the New York Supreme Court, January 19–November 5, 1796 [Hall of Records, New York City]). No record has been found that Greene appeared as ordered, but the following entry for May 11, 1796, appears in H’s Cash Book, 1795–1804: “William Greene for attending Trial & assisting in compromise” (AD, Hamilton Papers, Library of Congress).
3. This is apparently a reference to the New York City firm of Samuel Shaw, who had died in May, 1794, and Thomas Randall. See Randall to H, August 14, 1791; October 15, 1792; July 15, 1793. See also , II, 234.