Trenton 3 Sept. 1798 (131) my dear Sir I have received of late either two or three letters from you. I would have answered particularly that of the 17^th ult sooner, had I not been so much occupied and indeed disturbed by the humours (not a very pleasant one) which the President has discovered since his leaving Philadelphia, or rather since the last day on which the Senate were in Session. It has been his wish to change the order of nomination of the Major Generals so as to give Knox the first rank, Pinckney the next & Hamilton the third. As this arrangement would have occasioned a serious rupture, or at least misunderstanding, between him and General Washington; cost to the country the services of Hamilton, and perhaps those of General Washington all hands have been at work to prevent so many evils befalling us at a time when we stand in need of the union of our best talents, men, and means. [strikethrough: I hope we] I think shall be able to subdue this [undecipherable] altho the [undecipherable] of the [undecipherable] [undecipherable] it has blown almost a hurricane. I have had a letter from Col. W. S— [undecipherable] to show that he was not introd— in the election for [undecipherable] [undecipherable] It was multiply [undecipherable] indeed the obstacles are alike as [undecipherable] not to be [undecipherable] open, but expedient to give him a regiment. What say you [undecipherable] the President I present your friend Talmaday, to the President as a fit character to supply the place of North in the event of his resignation. but North [undecipherable] [undecipherable] that he accept the appointment. [undecipherable] the President answered [strikethrough: undecipherable] that he was prepared in such a case to make another appointment since which North has signified that he accepts. [strikethrough: I believe it far] I shall [strikethrough: have] taken due care of the names you have returned and [strikethrough: undecipherable] Perhaps your State may not obtain more officers than belong to a regiment and may: it may be thought adviseable to take more of the cavalry officers and men from the [undecipherable] and [strikethrough: also] [undecipherable] to [undecipherable] The men for the [undecipherable] companies on the [undecipherable] where they are to serve. in all probability, I say You observe that the names persons recommended cover only about half the States: here it [undecipherable] not be [undecipherable], to obtain some [undecipherable] fit characters by [undecipherable] from the other half. Whether [undecipherable] may serve to [undecipherable] [undecipherable] in case more states are given to the State than a regiment, or [undecipherable] it should be expedient to [undecipherable] the [undecipherable] [undecipherable] scatter them and [undecipherable] take from a wider surface. Take care in doing this not to excite envy against yourself — I add the information from Writing of the 6 Aug. 1798. [docket: 3 Sept. 1798 / Uriah Tracy.]