[Addressed: Samuel [undecipherable: c.?] Hodgdon Esq^r / Philadelphia] [Postal notation: [undecipherable]] [Docketed: John Mackey — / Octo 1793 / a [undecipherable]] Steupin's Ferry, Octo: 3^d 1793 — Dear Sir, Since my arrival at this place I have written to you twice, and as you have not yet favored me with a line, I am led to apprehend that my Letters have not reached you. If this be the case, it becomes necessary to recapitulate the contents of them. In both I urged the expediency of having the Stationery forwarded with all convenient expedition. If my reasons for requesting this to be done were trifling when my letters were written, they are at this day immensely urgent owing to the circumstances principally of — expenses incurred by alterations, additions and [undecipherable] to the Store house purchased of M^r Lear to fit it for an Armory, with those created by building a Barrack, have absorbed a considerable part of the money remitted by [undecipherable] Government for those purposes — It will [undecipherable] necessary to [undecipherable] [undecipherable] Account forward to obtain a credit for that Sum, and another Supply to cover future demands. I shall not attempt this until all my Accounts are properly [undecipherable: entered?] in the Cash Books. Would it not be practicable to send the Stationery and tools in a Waggon; if we are to [undecipherable: avoid?] a Water conveyance, it may be uncertain whether we obtain them before Winter sets in. — The Armory will be finished this ensuing week. The Walls of the Barrack will be completed in a few days after this. The frame for the third [undecipherable: Story?] is finished, the materials for the roof & floors nearly all provided, and from present appearances there is reason to hope the building will be habitable about the middle of November — You have sent us a [undecipherable] & [undecipherable] for you will [undecipherable] to draw, and [undecipherable] by no means calculated to perform the services required of hire — We shall always want a good [undecipherable: hand?] to draw a Cart; for this will supersede the necessity of hiring waggons at a great disadvantage to haul fire wood — By perform[undecipherable] [undecipherable] just of such magnitude as to justify incurring the expense of having one [undecipherable] — [undecipherable] will be always indispensably useful here. To avoid the expense of hiring [undecipherable] I have caused a stable to be built of Logs — Hay may be bought for [undecipherable] $ 1 Dollar p^r Tun, I can [undecipherable] p^r Bushel which, with the pastures that this place affords make the keeping of these horses cheap. — I shall sell this old [undecipherable] & [undecipherable] horse of any Person [undecipherable] who inclined to buy him — If not [undecipherable] may convey M^r [undecipherable: Smale?] back to Philadelphia the week after next — Be pleased to favor me with an account of the state of your [undecipherable] & with advice when the Stationery may be [undecipherable] and by what route — I am Sir with my most earnest wishes for your preservation, & that of your family — your most respectfully Samuel Hodgdon Esq^r John Mackey