[David Ames 19 July 1796 [undecipherable] answered] [circled: 27] [received from State Dep't. Nov. 24. 1894. R.P.O.401310.] c^te Samuel Hodgdon Esquire Philadelphia Springfield July the 19. 1796 S. I received your very obliging favour of the 15 instant and am glad to hear that you [undecipherable] find in your good [undecipherable] as soon as possible [undecipherable] Col Bryant has in hand at work [undecipherable] immediately on the receipt of your letter for a part of the [undecipherable] a doing the year in the Store. And [undecipherable] you given [undecipherable] lately would have as far as I can find a [undecipherable] going for my part of [undecipherable] at Philadelphia. The price appointed to our estimate made M^r. Pickering before his having the War Department was eleven dollars, and it will not be found on the Iron and [undecipherable] of files, are larger, that we have made as much economy in Expediting parts of the work as to make up those extra prices I would beg leave to mention [undecipherable] [undecipherable] respecting [undecipherable] — I [undecipherable] but hope it will [undecipherable] be [undecipherable] as [undecipherable] fault with his because the Secretary of War [undecipherable] — and I [undecipherable] you would be pleased to [undecipherable] me with the utmost [undecipherable]. There is not a pound of [undecipherable] in the [undecipherable] room enough to keep all parts of the work going on a [undecipherable] and [undecipherable] the places of the Secretary to take out of the [undecipherable] [undecipherable] to the sum amounting to pay for the sum received [undecipherable]. I would [undecipherable] to inform [undecipherable] the money [undecipherable] on the [undecipherable] price, that the [undecipherable] was to [undecipherable] the iron [undecipherable] to be [undecipherable] here — to whom I applied — and [undecipherable] that it did nothing to do in the [undecipherable] only [undecipherable] [undecipherable] as he was [undecipherable] to [undecipherable] by the Sec^t. of the Treasury. I [undecipherable] a [undecipherable] that any of the hand [undecipherable] [undecipherable] will for want of [undecipherable] to keep going after they can [undecipherable] to the best advantage; that is one of the best [undecipherable] and [undecipherable] [undecipherable] and [undecipherable] for [undecipherable] — [undecipherable] left [undecipherable] — and I would have it here in two [undecipherable] of [undecipherable] in [undecipherable] it by the [undecipherable] an [undecipherable]. Your friendly advice and [undecipherable] in obtaining money to pay for the Stock worked here — and to obtain more is fondly hoped — By your most Obedient and very humble Servant David Ames C^ol Samuel Hodgdon Esq^re