[284] I have taken the liberty to request of you to inform me at this place [strikethrough: and such persons are to be found and where they may] be met — Colonel 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 enquiry so far a secret as not to alarm them — I am &c— 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 1783 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 [undecipherable: probable reading Sommanda] Russell, who has lately lived at Charleston, and is [285] supposed to secret himself either in this State or North Carolina, you will oblige [strikethrough: undecipherable] letting me know where he is also — I shall be in this city for two months and wish to hear from you, by a letter directed to me here, by the way of Petersburgh Post Office as early as possible, and as our success depends on the secrecy of our measures, I wish also that neither these persons or their connexions may be alarmed by this enquiry — I am &c — Pierce Joseph Howell Esq^re — Richmond June 8. 1787 — Dear Sir Your Letters of May 17^th & 25^th are arrived. I have written by this Post to the Board of Treasury in your favor, and desired them to give you an appointment to such States as will not make it necessary for you to leave my Office before my return: it is uncertain [strikethrough: how] long this business will require as I have taken the whole up anew from the Vouchers, if you can prevail on the Board to let M^r Swan join me, it would hasten my return very considerably. The Auditors papers must be arranged as they will be essential to be resorted to in the settlement of the States accounts and I believe to place them in the order they were formerly will be best — I perceive by your Register that you have issued a certificate to M^r Chinn, which I fear