[The Hon^ble Ja^s McHenry Esq^t Sec^y at War Trenton] State of New York Dear Sir Greenburgh 22^nd Oct^r 1798 — A desire to gratify the Wishes of one of the most honourable & most Worthy Men of this age, and to promote as far as depends on me the Interests of his Promotion to be my Apology for troubling you with this letter and the enclosed Extracts. to which I pray your Particular attention and that you will consider them as important. I should have Written to you Sooner but I relied and expected long before this day to have had the Pleasure of Seeing you and to have communicated in person the Wishes of my much respected Friend Mr Izard — The Progress however of Pickering & the Approach of the time when a Garrison Will be put into it obliges me now to write least I should be too late Mr Izards Letters express his Feelings in a language as Strong as I could urge & his extreme anxiety on the Subject of his Son and I Shall only add that any thing you can do, to gratify this good Gentleman Will be considered by me as a personal Obligation Conferred on Myself — I am with great Esteem and Regard Sir, Your most Obt Hum^ble Ser^t Hon^ble J^s McHenry Sec^y at War Jacob Read