[Newton 27^th March 1792 Gen^l. Hull —] Newton 20^th May 1792. Dear Sir, I have received your letter of the 20^th inst. Before the recept of this you will doubtless receive mine of the 17^th & 20^th inst. By that of the 20^th you will find, I have declined the appointment, which was profferd by your goodness. I will recollect the conversations we had on the subject. The one was previous to any appointment being made. The other, near the morning I left Philadelphia. In the first instance I felt a wish for an appointment and very candidly expressed it to you. Had it been made at that time it was my intention to have accepted. It was however not a disappointment or mortification to me that Gen^l Brooks was preferred. From my own knowledge of his talents and our relative rank during the war, had it been left to my determination, I should have said he ought to have the preference. In the other conference, you observed, that if General Brooks should not accept, it was probable the appointment would be offered to me — If I rightly remember, my only reply was, "that Gen^t Brooks would doubtless accept". I am willing however freely to acknowledge, that even at that time, my feelings were in favor of the appointment. Otherwise I should very explicitly have desired you not to make any contract in my favor. When I received your letter at the 6^th of May, it became necessary for me to make a determination, which was not of much importance, except as it respected myself and family. On my arrival home, I found my Father in law Judge Fuller in a very ill State of health. He has no expectation of living but a short time. For a country gentleman, he posesses a very independent property. Mrs Hull is his only Child. When I communicated to him, the contents of your letter, no arguments which I could make use of, would reconcile him to the measure. He considered that I had an intention, not only of abandoning him, but my family, which consists of five Children, the eldest of which is only nine years of age, and five of which are daughters. A variety of other reasons have been [undecipherable] this Scale, which it is unnecessary to trouble you with, which have had an [undecipherable] other determinations. I should not have said so much on the subject, had it not been that it is one of the first wishes of my heart to preserve with you a character of consistency and propriety of conduct. I am with every sentiment of respect and esteem, yours very affectionate Friend William Hull. Han^ble M^r Gen^l. Knox.