Samuel Hodgden Esq^r New York May 11^th 1797 Sir. Your favor of the 20^th of April directed to James Manning &c^o was handed to me some time since — The partnership of that house is dissolved I have the Contract for supplying the Troops at West Point & Governors Island — I therefore took charge of the Goods — They were a long time on the way, and came on at several different times, but they are all now forwarded to their several places of destination those for Albany left this three or four days ago — I yesterday received a Letter from Mr. David Ames of the 6^th Instant on the subject of the two Musquets and from the information communicated by General Lincoln I have found the muskets, and have sent them by the Amboy Stage Boat — I inclose a receipt for them — There will be a small expence which I shall include in the account of expences on the Goods, and send it to you as soon as those accounts come in — It seems the Musquets were sent from the Stage house to the Ferry house at Whitehall with Gen^l Lincolns Baggage, without any orders being left concerning them Sam^r Your Obſervant Melancton Smith [Samuel Hodgden Esq^r, Philadelphia] [N^o 3. May 1] [Melancton Smith, Philadelphia, 1797]