Secretary of War Salt Baltimore March 17^th 1798 Sir I have drawn on you at 30 days sight of this date for 300 Dollars in favor of M^r Alex^r Brisband Merchant of Philadelphia I am induced to this on acc^t of drafts found by me for the Salaries of the Officers at the expences on the department of the S^d of Indian affairs South of the Ohio for the year 1797 to the amount of 1800 Dollars I [undecipherable] for want of Money on considering the Secretary himself a gentleman making application for a bill Colonel Hawkins requested me to draw on the war department informing he was authorized to draw for considerable sums that he had got officials & that he would [undecipherable: render] his [undecipherable: communication] in [undecipherable: language] [undecipherable] also annual [undecipherable: Returns] to [undecipherable: Boston] [undecipherable] in [undecipherable] N^o [undecipherable] for [undecipherable] & to state the difficulty we shall get into shall I not be furnished for want of funds to pay the expence of towns [undecipherable: Baltimore] perfectly obliged me to purchase a [undecipherable: teams] of [undecipherable: four] horses & waggon & got also [undecipherable: Cash] the affairs. Write be [undecipherable: for this] having taxes & [undecipherable: Persons] [undecipherable: Hoped] accordingly pray without advancing more than for forage of [undecipherable] would be approved of & I buy another a number of the Cattle have [undecipherable: passed] So far as to enter into a contract on oath not to [undecipherable: be] heard for the public but at their own prices — [undecipherable: Price] 300 doll^s [XFQ08]