Z. Pike Extract of a letter from the Commandant to Brigadier General James Wilkinson dated Fort Massac the 3rd of July 1796 Sir I was honored with yours of the 16th of may last by Lieutenant Underwood and sincerely thank you for the communications; I shall decline all improvements contemplated [upward arrow signifying insertion]to be made at this place, such excepted as is will forward and actually [upward arrow signifying insertion] necessary for a temporary part of our [undecipherable] in addition till next spring. I hope the commercial treaty with Spain will terminate much to the advantage of the union. I have done with the [undecipherable] of the Ambassadors. If Lieutenant Gregg has any communications, in the [undecipherable] of which if our [undecipherable: tone? time?] would not have been lost he has thought proper to withhold them. I assure you I have no orders to retain from you any information, but on the contrary to report to you regularly added to which I feel a dispotiion to make you acquainted with the most minute [undecipherable] [undecipherable] that may tend to the advantage of [Undecipherable word on the next line, to the left, and another to the right on the same line] [Written on the back of the previous page] the Union, which I hope my conducted will [undecipherable]