Smith, Paschal Nelson, ?-1805 to Henry Knox

Smith, who appears to be a Boston merchant, writes to Major General Knox about a missing servant. Says about 3 weeks ago, while he was on a tour of Connecticut, "a Molatto Servant Boy of mine named Prince, 18 Years of Age went off, & by the best information I can get he is gone to the Army, as a Recruit & I imagine some officer has persuaded him away as a waiter." Says Knox might remember Prince from his last visit to Boston. Describes him as "5 feet 9 Inches tall, & very Slender, & black Woolly Hair." Says other officers from Boston will remember him. Asks that if Prince is apprehended, that he be put in jail until he can make arrangements to get him. Says Prince "is a Slave by Birth, & sold to me as such, but as it is not consistant with my principals to keep a Slave, I promis'd him soon after I bought him, that if he would serve me Cheerfully & faithfully Seven Years he should have his Freedom." Says he knows the army needs servants, but that he pays his taxes and does not need to give the army anything else. Postscript says there is no news nor late accounts of his brother William. Also says that Prince might have joined "the Negro Regiment," as he was informed he met with an officer from that regiment several times before he ran off.