Philadelphia 4^th march 1798 Sir, To pay Sundry transportation Accounts and make advances to others going forward with Public Stores to the Army, and with the Treaty Supplies to Knoxville, I request a warrant for three thousand Dollars to be charged as usual to the Quarter master General. With Sentiments of respect & Esteem I am Sir Your most Obedient Serv^t Samuel Hodgdon James McHenry Esq^r Sec^y of War. Philadelphia 12^th March 1798 Dear Sir, On the 6^th February I received your letter of the 26^th January. since then the Box with the faulty instruments is arrived I shall bush them up and make the most of them — I have contracted for two Bassoons and four Clarinets to replace them and a Serpent also to compleat your band. these instruments will come high but they will turn out cheap in the end — they will be warranted equal to any made in any quarter of the Globe, and if they do not turn out so, the Sum paid for them will be repaid with damages. I cannot have them in less time than thirty days and when received they shall be forwarded without a moments delay The Subject of arming our vessels comes on this Week, lengthy debates are expected but the measure it is thought will obtain. War is likely to rage another Summer at least whether we shall be drawn into it, is difficult to say if we must engage the Posts you mention should be first apprised. But I hope, should that be the case we shall find a plenty of Engineers — the Principal of that Corps is now before a Court of enquiry, his fate will soon be known, but there are several Officers who make considerable pretensions to knowledge in the science; some will I trust be found that are not mere pretenders it is certainly of importance that first rate abilities should be found among them — but I first hope they will not be called into Action — I will make enquiry and do the needful relative to the Wine — The Papers will detail the European news. the invasion of England is all the rage — but it is said the French Soldiers shrug up their shoulders whenever they are harangued about it — various are the conjectures as to the real designs of the Directory most think it intended to [strikethrough: keep] cover some other design on to keep the Troops busy, that they may not be troublesome, now the War on the Continent is close. time will disclose all — and on it we must wait — adieu — With Sentiments of Esteem I am Sir Your most Obedient Serv^t Samuel Hodgdon Gen^l Wilkinson