[Address panel: Samuel Hodgdon Esq^r Philadelphia] [Postal stamp: BALTIMORE FEB 8] [Number: 121] [43] [A. Macdonald — February 1796 —] [Received from State Dep't. Nov. 24. 1894. B.P.O. 401810.] Baltimore February 7^th 1796 Sam^l Hodgdon Esq^r Sir The 21^st ult. we reciev'd a Letter from W^m Morton of Lexington (Kentucky) covering David Haragan's B of Exchange dated 6^th Oct. 95 on you, for ¹ North Shaw for 600 Dollars, which we passed away to M^r Pleasants, who have since returned it protested for non Acceptance— the reason that, you has paid the first Bill of the same tenor and dates purports to the letter above mentioned is duplicate of one date 21^st Oct. the original of which conveyed the 1^st Bill, which has not yet been receiv'd by us — We do not know whether it was sent by post or some private offi— but should have been presented to you it has been obtained clandestinely and we have no doubt you will give every information and assistance in your power to detect such a fraud — for this purpose we beg the favor of you to examine the Bill and inform us by post, who it was paid to— it must have been indorsed payable to us by Will. Morton who is so very regular in his transactions that there is not the least probability of his having remitted the 1^st to some other person and the 2^d to us — be so obliging as to let us hear from you by return of post if convenient. your Hble Serv^ts A Macdonald &[undecipherable]