[Private] Philadelphia 20^th June 1796 Dear Sir, let this letter be received with the same friendship and gratitude with which it is written — get how avail and more to the satisfaction the would give me, than your acceptance of the offer I am going to make you. Without further preface then, I am going to request you to do me a great favor — namely to tell [undecipherable] a confidence the [undecipherable] [undecipherable] also [undecipherable] the [undecipherable] particu[undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] Washington, this office has been often [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] Secretary of [undecipherable] and a native of [undecipherable] Maryland, that it [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] give me sincere pleasure if it would suit him. After making this declaration, I go but a little further — but I go for an immediate answer, as the public Service is suffering much for want of a head to the department of War. If you consent to this nomination [undecipherable] prepare to come on as soon as it is made (for the reason just mentioned) to be at this season and in the present state of the Roads, you should not find it convenient to bring M^rs McHenry & your family along with you. — Sound, I pray you, and let me know without delay, if M^r Sam^l Chase would accept a seat on the Supreme Judicial bench of the U. States, made [undecipherable] by the resignation of M^r Blair — this now is in the [undecipherable] active, I at once perceive the necessity of [undecipherable] be to the last moment [undecipherable] [undecipherable] of month, at such times [undecipherable] it is [undecipherable] this city — [undecipherable] there [undecipherable] are [undecipherable] of interesting natures [undecipherable] be done of then at present — but upon [undecipherable] of the sincere friendship, [undecipherable] regards, [undecipherable] on [seal] [undecipherable] Washington James McHenry