Philadelphia January 8^th 179[8?] Sir, Whilst on my late tour thro' Louisiana and West-Florida, I acquired so general a knowledge of the Choctaws, their influential characters &^c as to give me the means of being more useful to the United States in that station than else where particularly on the event of a war with France; and you have suggested to me your intention of Appointing me to that trust, I feel it therefore a duty to inform you the terms and the only terms on which I can accept it. — My Sallary must be equal to that of the Agent to the Cherokees, there ought to be two additional rations added — there ought to be an assistant Agent — and an Interpreter aponted in addition to John Pitchlynn — I would beg leave to recommend Turner Brashears provided he would accept as the additional Interpreter — he is well qualified for the duties of Linguister, is a sober young man has for some years past been an Agent for Panton Leslie & C^o and has much influence with the Choctaws — his family lives in the Natchez District and is respected.— Provision ought to be made for furnishing this Nation with annual presents as the other southern tribes are furnished, and those presents to be delivered under the inspection or order of the Agent, or a superior Officer in the Indian department — there ought to be a trading house established at the Walnut Hills, for reasons which I have before offered — And it is highly necessary that the divisory line between the Choctaws and the Natchez District should be[run?] immediately that no misunderstanding or incroachments may originate from ignorance of that line. — At present there are no citizens of the United States settled on the lands properly belonging to the Choctaws but as the people from the western frontiers are begining to immigrate rapidly to the Mississippi and they are generally of a description of citizens who do not entertain a very just sense of right and wrong as relates to Indian Territory they will soon seek an excuse in their ignorance of the line for settling over it I have the honor to be with sincere esteem & respect Your Obedient Servant John McKee [The Honorable James o McHenry Esq^r Secretary of War.]