[No 18 9 Aug^t '97 Hunter] Lexington Virginia Aug^t 4, 1797 — Sir, I fell in with two Pennsylvanians to Cary the inclosed left Notifying the [undecipherable] of June, about a Month later than I had left it — They tell me that nothing had been done, [undecipherable] or was [undecipherable] upon the subject of the line what the Gov. [undecipherable] attempted any his alone with the Inhabitants — they further [undecipherable] that when they had got two or three Days Journey into the Wilderness, they were overtaken by a Doctor [undecipherable] who Came with them to Cumberland. That a Mr. Allen from the Chickasaws, the Man in Company from that place upon their Arrival at Nashville made information to the Magistracy, that he had reason to believe Mr. [undecipherable] to be a Spy & emissary of the Spaniards & that the Chx. had much Conversation with Wolfe & [undecipherable] that from [undecipherable] [observing?] of his Conduct on the Road he was led to this Conclusion — He was accordingly taken into Custody, & after having kept him four or five Days, we came to the fullest Conviction of his being guilty of the [undecipherable] imposed to [undecipherable] and his [undecipherable] — but [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [forwarded?] to the [undecipherable] them from their Purpose of [undecipherable] upon his [undecipherable] & was [undecipherable] to pass on to the [undecipherable] & continue with his impersonal [undecipherable] I ask'd them whether Mr. [undecipherable] did [undecipherable] if any [undecipherable] while they were there — they said that about the time of their Arrival which was about the Middle of May he [undecipherable] just a Mr. [undecipherable] Hunter, who in contempt of the Spanish Authority had come of without a pass [undecipherable] that the [undecipherable] controlled them to [such?] a degree they were almost [undecipherable] — that they had [undecipherable] of nearly [undecipherable] of them they [undecipherable] taken his [undecipherable] that he had been a Subject for years, had from [undecipherable] by the King of Spain to be [undecipherable] — I avoid attempting any Commentary on this —Passage [undecipherable] however you & myself, but I am seriously [undecipherable] — annoyed by an inflammation [undecipherable] — Dick had a letter [undecipherable] from a pistol wound & [undecipherable] I am doubtful [undecipherable] will keep me a Day or two from getting better — I would wish in the meantime that we could have the opinion of the Att. General of the U.S. with respect to our obligation to the Government, after [undecipherable] the oath of Allegiance to Spain [undecipherable] Question is [undecipherable] that if every other person in this Country [undecipherable] be considered a very entertaining [undecipherable] of imposition by the people of that [undecipherable] in General — I hope if there be any [undecipherable] in the [undecipherable] that it will be just forward by the first Dispatch to Natchez — I am very [undecipherable], I am extremely [undecipherable] & in a greater hurry than before — I am Sir with the utmost Esteem Y^r Hbl^e Ser^vt [undecipherable] A. Hunter P.S. Col. [undecipherable] ask'd [a] day or two before I left [undecipherable] whether I'd be willing to put my Name to the act. [undecipherable] Given, respecting the Spaniards wishing to excite the Indians to hostilities — N. to U.S. — I [undecipherable] him that [undecipherable] had given him such a [writing?] with my Name to it, & that it must be [undecipherable] among his papers — but I am [undecipherable] Since that it was copied by [undecipherable] & that my Name was [undecipherable] — The Original, I left with you, which I beg you'd mention to the [undecipherable], with [undecipherable] to make use of it as he may think proper — N.H. C.H. [undecipherable] Henry [undecipherable] at War