Major Henry Burbeck – Commandant of the Artillery of the United States – Head Quarters - Western Army [inverted: Jn.^o Stagg [undecipherable]] Philadelphia March 16^th 1794 — My dear Friend! Your very acceptable favors of the 15^th November, 3^d December last, and 19^th January following are now before me — The letter you mention to have committed to me by D.^r Tuttleton is not yet come to hand. It would have afforded me an infinitely great pleasure to carry, a private — to [undecipherable] for Hazard came safe, and [undecipherable] a Tickets from Kernel & you are quite a [undecipherable] girl, and a grand tender — [undecipherable] [undecipherable] the two from Lexington & Williams [undecipherable] People are well, and to it are [undecipherable] I want Your Ticket in the Washington Lottery I am sorry to inform you is a [undecipherable] [undecipherable] the Profits kept in this city — [undecipherable] as another determination [undecipherable] take place after the drawing is finished — This will be in a few days — The high prizes are all out & I have none of them — Perhaps [undecipherable] it yet in the chance — Captain Collins is now here, and I find him an intelligent Officer and an agreable companion [undecipherable] Every friendship in my power shall be shown him — He has given me a listing of your wants — the battle ground of [undecipherable] & [undecipherable] Your line 1793 — [undecipherable] General [undecipherable: Posey] has lost in his application — No one is as yet appointed to fill the vacancy — Our laws have not yet made any promotions — no appointments in this Legion — there are a number of candidates for Employ — I have several times talked with the Secretary respecting our Plan to be given the [undecipherable] of Artillery and Cavalry — He has not come to any decision — I will attack him again — It appears confusedly and [undecipherable] upon first military maneuvers — Monroe & [undecipherable] has been dispatched the [undecipherable] & [undecipherable] to him — He did not entertain I am told a distant idea of such a [undecipherable: preferment] from the court — Nothing is yet done by Congress for the army — A bill [undecipherable] to a mode of Stipulations not long since augmenting the pay of the [undecipherable] commissioned officers & privates, with other encouragements, in order to complete [undecipherable] of [undecipherable] [undecipherable] that [undecipherable] have done it — Whether matters [undecipherable] [undecipherable] will be [undecipherable] I cannot say — but this is certain, that unless something is done to [undecipherable] the Troops on a better footing, the Legion will [undecipherable] to [undecipherable] [undecipherable] — In Europe — the general scene of war, desolation, and destruction — You will no doubt have heard, that [undecipherable] the agency of [undecipherable] amongst the British, the Algerines are making dreadful havock on our commerce — A bill is now before the Senate, having passed the other house, to fit out a Naval armament to protect our [undecipherable] [undecipherable] the Ocean — It is contemplated to build four frigates of 44, and two of 20 guns each, and I believe it will take place — Toulon is actually retaken by the French — The combined armies [undecipherable] obliged to evacuate it, after burning all the Shipping in the harbor — the [undecipherable] in — The Slaughter has been great indeed — I must also mention that the British intercept all our commercial intercourse with the French West India [undecipherable] [undecipherable] are taken without [undecipherable] or [undecipherable], contrary to the law of Nations, or a neutral [undecipherable] by their resolution and practice, our produce is driven from the Ports of France, and [undecipherable] to [undecipherable] of the British, in [undecipherable] [undecipherable] they plunder our Merchandise, and forcibly seize our mariners — [undecipherable: Genet] is succeeded as Minister [undecipherable] from the Republic of France by [undecipherable] Fauchet who has lately arrived in this city — All [undecipherable] [undecipherable] in [undecipherable] a [undecipherable] arming, or enlisting men in the U.S. by the French have been declared null and void by his [undecipherable: Successor] — I should not be at all surprised to find ourselves in a War [undecipherable] in a very short time — If so, I believe the British will be the first — I am under no great apprehensions from the French — If we must fight again I would rather it should be with the British — I hate them most cordially — Altho France in some instances may have been guilty of some irregulation, yet her cause is a good one, and must ultimately triumph — The affairs are every day getting in better train, and her armies meet with [undecipherable] and victories — M.^r Jefferson has resigned, and Edmund Randolph late Attorney General of the U.S. fills the Department of State — The Secretary of War expects to resign on the first of May — he has [undecipherable] that he means to go out take [undecipherable] and improve his money to the Eastward — If he goes, I know not who is to succeed him — The general opinion is that Colonel Pickering will be the man — Concerning myself I cannot get [undecipherable] — By the first of May I will decide whether to continue any longer in the drudge of the War Office, or return to New York — Last February I finished eight years hard Services in the Department. M.^rs Tuttleton is well — Miss [undecipherable] is now on a visit to her brother in law in Maryland M.^r [undecipherable] — she is expected to return in a week or two — I have always presented your remembrances to them wherever you have requested it, and the same to Billy Sergeant — They are all well — M.^rs T. and Billy, present their regards to you — M.^rs Hale & Family do the same, but Miss [undecipherable] in particular sends her best wishes for your welfare — The new Theatre is finished and M.^r Wignells company [undecipherable] to [undecipherable] [undecipherable], and give great satisfaction — I wish you were here to see them — You would be delighted — Remember me to all my Military Friends — I am dear Burbeck Affectionately yours [undecipherable: Jn.^o Stagg] [Major Henry Combeck]