Shepherd Town July 30th 1798 68 Sir, I think it my duty to let you know the cause of my long stay in the Western Country unconnected with my official letter - know then that about the time I was about to depart an Indian was inhumanely Murdered by a disorderly white man which allarmed the Settlement pretty much - I then thought it a duty to my Country & to that Settlement where I propose to reside, to use my endeavors to reconcile the Murder with the Indians as well as possible, their threats at first appeared alarming, but by the [?] & uniform Conduct of the Actual Settlers, and such others at that place, who viewed the action as Criminal, by the great respect & care paid to the dead [boy?] presents to the Widow & Children of the [?] &c, I had the pleasure to leave our Infant Settlement [illegible] the Indians were well satisfied, and not disposed to revenge that Murder - It is to be regreted, that numbers of lawless young men will infest new frontier Settlements, for the Government of whom the Civil laws are not adequate, those are generally the destroyers of Frontier [note along left margin] P.S. I find on making up my audit of Virga. stores, that the receipt for the last load is at Winchester. - I must therefore wait till I send for it. E.L. Frontier Settlements and disturbers of peace with the Indian Tribes - I wish we could have a law to fit them, that could opperate on them alone I forward a return of the Virginia Stores, and write to the Secretary of War on the Subject of a [?] to my office I am with great respect Your Ob S E Langham Major Hodsdon [written on outside of letter] Major Elias Langham 30 July 1790 Recd August Shepherdtown August 12 Sam.l Hodsdon Philadelphia 15