[Administrative notation: 6] [Mr Kirby 6^th Feby 1797] [No 10] [Nov. 27. 1803] [Address panel, written inverted:] [Philadelphia] [underline: Commissary of Military Stores] [Samuel Hodgdon Esquire] [[undecipherable postal notation]] Sd. Hills February 6^th 1797 Dear Sir, The Connecticut claimants are making great exertions on account of the bounties. I lately saw & [undecipherable] that the [undecipherable] company claim [undecipherable] a right [undecipherable] of [undecipherable] a township [undecipherable] — [undecipherable] miles square and able to [undecipherable] in Connecticut [undecipherable] — The purchasers claim in contradiction [undecipherable] to adopt a settlement under the Connecticut title to adopt [undecipherable] the [undecipherable] as I am informed — Every [undecipherable] is making to secure settlers, such as has [undecipherable] gone forth — I have heard & frequently [undecipherable] that the [undecipherable] Declaration was never carried into execution and never would be in the County of Luzerne — That the magistrates of that County [undecipherable], nor are they in any degree [undecipherable] to execute any law inapplicable to the Connecticut title — Such bold [undecipherable] intrudes upon the Pennsylvania [undecipherable] — Should you not therefore [undecipherable] the County of [undecipherable] at its present session, by annexing the [undecipherable] part [undecipherable] the County of Northampton and [undecipherable] rest to [undecipherable] County, would not the law be more [undecipherable] executed in [undecipherable] part? And would not a prompt and vigorous execution of the law do more to check the spirit and progress of [undecipherable] proceedings, than [undecipherable] have done? & I assure [undecipherable] that this [undecipherable] forms the utmost attention on [undecipherable] unless in the Pennsylvania [undecipherable] — The time is the most [undecipherable] [undecipherable] are multiplying in number and [undecipherable] their effects — My [undecipherable] on this matter will [undecipherable] certainly [undecipherable] — The encroachments are [undecipherable] upon [undecipherable] declaring them shall render all the land in the [undecipherable] much less valuable — Should you not [undecipherable] your friends [undecipherable] on [undecipherable] on this subject? I presume you will not [undecipherable] a little time [undecipherable] to effect some legislative [undecipherable] — My friend [undecipherable] has been [undecipherable] to lately [undecipherable] My friend also has been some time in Philadelphia and will not long [undecipherable] there — [undecipherable] I shall be glad to be informed every step which your Legislature takes on this interesting subject, and am Dear Sir Your friend & Epht. Kirby Sam^l. Hodgdon Esq^r