[S.y from S — April 30. 1798] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] as Col Hawkins requested me to forward convey — a [undecipherable] of any consequence I have [undecipherable] you [in] a copy & [undecipherable: abstract] of his letter to me it will [undecipherable: serve] to convey some idea of his [undecipherable: situation] Mt [undecipherable: Hogson] [undecipherable] determined to rival the [undecipherable] in the Indian trade if we can get on good on [undecipherable] so as to not keep [undecipherable: constantly] a good [undecipherable: assortment] I conceive their will be no [strikethrough: undecipherable] injury from the [undecipherable: informers] we now begin to know who is least [undecipherable: worthy] & who [is] not & this I believe [undecipherable: begin] to be convinced that the object of the trade is to supply him on liberal terms so as to obtain their friendship & that it is conducted with perfect candor in every part I have [had] [undecipherable] for [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [been] [undecipherable: held] by [undecipherable] of [undecipherable: Military] men [undecipherable: above] by the [undecipherable] — when I was even an attempt to [undecipherable] — [undecipherable] communicated by a person whom I could depend upon [I send] you the 22^nd from Savannah [undecipherable: enclosing] some [papers] giving an account of an unhappy [strikethrough: undecipherable] [undecipherable] by the Officers of his garrison [undecipherable] me I was requested by [undecipherable: Lt] Gaither to shut up the store on my application to him for protection I thought it prudent to retire for a short time the Officers Generally being in a state of madness from the effects of [undecipherable] [undecipherable: whiskey] the soldiers [were] many of them having refused [undecipherable: recently] [is] going on briskly hoping they would be cool and come to their senses in a short time — I am sorry to find on my return that [undecipherable: Col] Gaither from [undecipherable: Merrit] he heard there out has thought it necessary to place a guard of a corporal and [undecipherable: six] men at my door constantly with orders to affront me whenever called on — I hope I may have no occasion for him — I believe the [undecipherable: Col] will do every thing in his power to restore harmony but the Officers [undecipherable: soon] [undecipherable] the [undecipherable: Col] directed the store to be opened during my absence and [undecipherable] has recommended I conceive the Officers to be influenced by some of the [undecipherable: interfering] [strikethrough: undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] the [undecipherable: Col] [undecipherable] them [undecipherable] to [undecipherable] [undecipherable] has recommended, I conceive the officers to be [undecipherable: influenced] by some of the interfering traders here respecting whom I wish we were duly instructed the late [undecipherable: Capt] Webb is a Rascally [undecipherable] character — I have a number of affidavits by me [can] be produced respecting this business of [an] investigation should take place — [Endorsement: Letter to the Sec[retary] [of War] [undecipherable] April 30^th 1798 [n.t.]]