[Top of cover, postal notation: undecipherable] [Center, address panel:] Oct. 29. — See. The Hon^ble James M[undecipherable] Secretary at War [Philad.] [Right side:] Trenton 28 [undecipherable] 96. [postal seal] [Bottom, filing notation: undecipherable] My dear Sir, I suppose you did by no means expect regular returns to my letters. — I wrote from a very de[e]p motive, because it was agreeable [to] me to hold these Soliloquies towards you — like most great talkers was not displeased to talk all — and I know your engagements [strikethrough: that] it would be [bur]phen to [undecipherable] Opinions be held — Portion — I wish you had recollected [undecipherable] by [undecipherable] a Number in your letter, but [undecipherable] it is in a Newspaper yet — [undecipherable] is a very [undecipherable] are [undecipherable] on — [undecipherable] of [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] — it has been [undecipherable] short [publi-] cations of M. A. — perhaps [undecipherable] on the same — [undecipherable] There is [a]ttach[ed] throughout all [our?] State [undecipherable] on his back — but I do not see a [undecipherable] unless you [undecipherable] our one, [undecipherable] once a month from any [undecipherable] — [undecipherable] I hope he fell in [his?] [undecipherable] — [undecipherable] Election is right — [undecipherable] of [Talbot?] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] of [undecipherable] Wright is as he should be — [undecipherable] [undecipherable] as [undecipherable] [undecipherable] right — [undecipherable] at [undecipherable] or [undecipherable] is [undecipherable] [off?] — and will [undecipherable] [undecipherable] — the Elector as he has no [undecipherable] popularity — — ah — why was not one [undecipherable] [undecipherable] of Baltimore [undecipherable] — if you have given up that post is bad management. I am sorry to say that I begin to wish to be in Philad[elphia] — and I should be alarmed at such ci[r]cum[stances?] [undecipherable] not [undecipherable] [undecipherable] that I principally wish to [undecipherable] a talk [undecipherable] you for about three months. [yours?] affectionately [undecipherable: W.V.M.?] 28. Feb. 96. It has been hinted to me that Some friends on the Western Shore mean to hold up a certain [undecipherable] — member as next governor — [to?] make [his?] [undecipherable] Some [undecipherable] [undecipherable] — and [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] This may be mere talk — and