Richmond Virg^a May 25^th 1787 Gen^l Allen Jones — Sir — I take the liberty to request you to inform me if a W^m S. Alexander who acted as Quarter Master in Hillsborough in the year 1788 and a Thomas Commander Russell can be found in your State and where — my reasons for troubling you on this occasion are that I have good evidence that a large sum of the Public money is, in one or both their hands and that they are appropriating it to their private purposes and also that in case they are found it is essential that they are not alarmed by any notice of my pursuit of them — As M^r Alexander may be known at Hillsborough you will oblige the Public very essentially if you have a Correspondent there by writing to him for this information which I [strikethrough: wish] to have communicated to me in this City as soon as possible — I am &c — J Pierce Nathan^l Allen Esq^r Richmond Virg^a May 25^th 1787 — Sir — I have occasion to find a W^m S. Alexander who acted as Quarter Master at Hillsborough in the year 1788 and a Thomas Commander Russell — one or both of whom it is supposed has a large sum of Public monies in his hands to recover which I have taken the liberty to request of you to inform me at this place [undecipherable] be [undecipherable] — Colonel [undecipherable: probable reading Parker] of Portsmouth being here has done me the favor to mention you, Sir, as a gentleman that will attend to this request and as one who will keep the inquiry so far a secret as not to alarm them — I am &c — J Pierce Colonel W^m Taylor — Richmond May 24^th 1787 — Sir I am informed that you are acquainted in North Carolina, and from your character, I may place a reliance on your information. I have therefore done myself the honor to write you and to request that you will be pleased to inform me, where a M^r William S. Alexander who acted as Quarter master at Hillsborough in the year 1788 may be found, and if he has not come within your Knowledge that you would be so kind as to write to some correspondent of yours at Hillsborough who may perhaps give the information. he received a large sum of the Public monies to deliver to another Person in that year, which money has never been delivered or accounted for — It is intimated that this money afterwards fell into the hands of a Tho^s. Commander Russell, who has lately lived at Charleston, and is [undecipherable]