no offence to any particular power, the drawing so many things at so critical a period, also induced me to doubt if some scheme were not on foot to invade this State from that quarter, which could easily have been done by a Landing of the French on Amelia Island or St Johns — I am happy to find that the Steps I took respecting the Spanish Schooner met the Presidents entire approbation and I am Sir with respect Your Most Obt Servt Ja^s Jackson The Hon^ble Timothy Pickering Secretary of State — United States Executive Department Georgia Louisville October 14^th 1798 Sir Your favours of the 11^th and 25 th Sept I had the honour of duly receiving by post — It is not, nor ever has it been my intention to throw unnecessary expense on the United States. But Sir, in case of absolute necessity it would be impossible to await the Presidents calling forth the Militia without sacrificing the State and its Citizens. To leave a State more exposed than any other in the Union at a time of impending War with its Executive hands fettered in case of invasion while the pleasure of the President who might be in Massachusetts could be known, would certainly be unpleasant to its inhabitants if not impolitic as respects the Government and that too when the Secretary of State writes the Executive of Georgia that admitting forts were to be erected at all the places you have mentioned, how are they to be manned? No there Troops would soon be buried there and the unhealthiness of the situation in general is so known that it would be difficult to draw even your own Citizens from the back Country to constitute the Garrison. If this difficulty could be gotten over by the State Government, should it not be permitted to exert itself in its defence and in defending itself the Union? for the same difficulties would arise as to Northern Troops on the Lakes in the lower parts of Georgia and their fears of, as well as our own back Country Citizens dislike to the low Country situation (if the latter exists as Strongly as the Secretary of State remarks) would be as great. — A fortification however appears to be generally declined and Gallies approved of a number less than that I had the honour of mentioning to the President in my communication to him, would prove but small protection against even piratical incursion. — Since I wrote the President of the United States finding that large quantities of Cattle were driving from our Southern Counties into Florida, I deemed it necessary to issue the Proclamation enclosed that in case of invasion and the Presidents ordering a number of Troops unto this State, no want of provisions should take place — I understood some time since of the arrival of the brass Sea pounders and three pounder and of the other arms and Artillery at Savannah — Could the State procure a loan of them for her Militia? We are badly off for Musquets in particular, and we have no means of manufacturing or procuring them with convenience I am Sir with respect y^r most Ob Servant Ja^s Jackson Hon^ble James M^cHenry Secretary of War United States