During his appointment to the Committee for Foreign Affairs he created and implemented ciphers for the country. The ciphers he created were somewhat difficult and complex to use as described and referenced by John Adams "I have letters from the president and from Lovell, the last unintelligible, in ciphers, but inexplicable by his own cipher." and Benjamin Franklin "If you can find the key & decypher it, I shall be glad, having myself try'd in vain." as expressed in their letters to Francis Dana of March 1781.