Philadelphia 12^th March 1798 Dear Sir, On the 6^th February I received your letter of the 26^th January. Since then the Boy with the faulty instruments is arrived. I shall brush them up and make the most of them — I have contracted for two Bafsoons 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 receive, 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 abroad; whether we shall be drawn into it, is difficult to say, if we must engage the Posts you mention Should be first assailed. 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 yet 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 this 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, or 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