Letter from Ebenezer Hazard to the Printer of the Connecticut Gazette, declaring the letter, attributed to Mr. Smith, a forgery

v6:1369

DOBB' S FERRY, September 19, 1776.

MR˙ GREEN: As I understand you have republished a letter in your paper which was reprinted from a London paper, and said to be written by the Honourable William Smith, Esq˙, I beg leave to inform you that it is a forgery, and I doubt not was written by some of the Refugees in England, with a view to render Mr˙ Smith' s situation as disagreeable as their own was. The letter will not prejudice Mr˙ Smith in the opinion of those who know him; hut the natural and just jealousy of the times may lead those who are unacquainted with him to form an unjust idea of him; I doubt not, therefore, that, in justice to injured innocence, you will publish the following extract from a letter written by Mr˙ Smith respecting the letter above-mentioned, and insert a paragraph requesting the Printers who have already published or may yet publish the forgery, to print this too. It is dated the 4th instant.

I am, sir, your humble servant,

EBENEZER HAZARD.