Philad^a October 6^th 1798 [243] Y^r By request of the Secretary of the Treasury I send to your address via New York eight Charleville Muskets to be used as Patterns by the Contractors for Muskets in your vicinity — Straiten you have his directions on the subject — Be pleased to advise me of their arrival — Sam Sir your most Obed^t Servant. Samuel Hodgdon John S. Dexter Esq^r Supervisor of the Revenue Providence Rhode Island [seal] Philadelphia 6^th October 1798 Dear Sir How I shall compensate you for the business you are doing for me under present circumstances from Sam at a loss to determine — let my peculiar situation plead my apology, and depend on future calls for adequate compensation — This comes with eight Pattern Muskets to be forwarded with all possible dispatch to Providence Rhode Island, to the address of John S. Dexter Esq Supervisor of the Revenue there. Your assistance or friend has very kindly received and forwarded the Pattern Cloathing and has advised me thereof, for which I feel very much obliged. In the way they can go safest and quickest let them be forwarded without reference to the cost — Sam Sir your most Obed^t Servant Samuel Hodgdon Malancton Smith Esq^r