[354] Philadelphia 25^th January 1799 [P^r.] On the 23 I received your letter of the 5^th enclosing a Return of the Ordnance and Stores at Fort Kanellar. Your letter of Attorney for compensation of the last years services has been presented to the Secretary of War: he directs me to inform you that there not appearing sufficient reason why the Stores that were under your care have not been removed agreeably to my letters of the 17^th January, 14^th February 1797 the charge made for your services subsequent to those periods cannot without better evidence of their justness be allowed. I have again to request that you will consult those letters and with Cap^t Houdin determine on the removal of the Stores in such manner as may induce him to take the charge of them and give you a receipt for what is found on hand, when this is done you can forward the receipt, to close your Store Account, & your claim for compensation may be revived, and I doubt not satisfactorily settled. at present the Secretary thinks you only entitled to pay to the time the Stores ought to have been removed. Cap^t Houdin will be authorised and enabled to make the payment of the sums necessarily incurred in the business of removal or procuring covering security, and attention to the Stores should any of them unavoidably remain in their present situation or be deposited elsewhere in the neighbourhood until a better season for transportation arrives. I am &c &c M^r Bernard Hudson Fort Kanellar Samuel Hodgdon