Chs [Charles] Cty [County] 27h July 08
Dear Sir,
In my full confidence of yr personal regard, as well as of yr professional accuracy, attention & ability, I ask yr care & counsel of a claim due to me as you will find on perusal of the accompanying papers.
When you shall have decided on the course proper for me to pursue, please to communicate with particular directions for me to follow.
Must I administer on Semples estate?, how when & where.
Can the suit be brought in the Maryland circuit court, or must I report to the state chancery.
I prefer the first.
Semple died during the war, was a Scotchman & resided in Virga—
The only property to be found is the land & rents mentioned in [in] my bill which lay in the county of Washington State of Maryland.
No heirs nor executors do I know or can I find, but some cousins, one of whom lives in Maryland.
The mortgage spoken of by Mr. Mason demands peculiar attention for the reasons & suspicions assigned by him & because the heirs of James Lawson claim the benefit of the mortgage which we beleive [sic] (James Lawson) was a partner of Semple, & which partnership we wish to prove & therefore institute the suit agst [against] Stuart as you will see by the second bill now sent.
The bills require perhaps correction & addition, for our Virga lawyers are at a loss when they refer to Maryland law & usage.
I cannot compensate you for the trouble I impose but by success, when my remunerations shall be as liberal, as [can?] be I am vy [very?] sure, yr friendly execution of my anxious desire.
The sum is great & the means for payment adequate if you can secure them—
I will write to [“to” written twice] Mr. Martin [Marting crossed out] when I hear from you soliciting his co-operation.
With best wishes & sincere regard
I am truly yours
H. Lee
Please to answer this letr by the mail following its recept which goes to Allens Fresh—Charles County Maryland under cover to the revd Mr. Contee.
Can I as a debtor administer on Semples estate in Maryland, how & where must I so do—this would be a short cut to my relief. If the act of limitation affects me, because of my often visits to this state use the name of Ludwell Lee who intermarried with Flora Lee one of the daughters of Philip L. Lee, & who is Executor of Francis L. Lee one of the Exrs of Philip Ludwell Lee & interested with me: he never visits this state—a few weeks ago he was in Baltimore his first visit. You will find in the decree the name of Flora Lee, &c.
[Mr. Harper]
