[Wrapper endorsements: circled "36"; Received / State Dep't. / Nov. 24, 1831 / R.P.O. 401310; [undecipherable] Kilty / Baltimore Feby 11. 1799 —] Supervisor's Office Baltimore, February 11^th 1799 Sir On the receipt of your letter of the 1^st instant I went to Fell's Point, and after some search, found the person therein mentioned, not at Price's, but at another Ship Yard. I called him aside, and informed him [of your] claim. [undecipherable] to state what he said on [undecipherable] the letter which he afterwards determined to write [undecipherable] which is herewith enclosed. I demanded some security for payment of the money, if, after time had been allowed for necessary explanations, he should not be able to convince you that it was not justly due. He did not immediately consent to give such Security, but promised to come up to my Office the next morning. He came accordingly, and after some considerations went back with a kind of obligation which I had [drawn] up, and which he promised to shew to a M^r Weedon, with whom he appears to have some engagements, and procure his signature to it, if, upon consultation, they should agree that such an obligation ought to be given. He came again this day, to my office, accompanied by M^r Weedon, but did not seem inclined to give any security, untill an answer should be made to the letter already referred to which he had in the interim prepared. I readily agreed to forward his letter, but insisted on some kind of Security for the ultimate pay[ment] of the claim if it should be found due, and at length obtained M^r Weedon's Signature to the paper of which a Copy is enclosed. It is not so precise as the one I had first drawn, but I could not get a stricter obligation Signed, and I thought it better to take this than to institute a suit for the same, I believe, loose and informal as it is, that it yet secures the claim, but I cannot help wishing that [there] may be [something] disclosed, on further examination, sufficient to [undecipherable] and the decency of his behaviour in the conversations I have had with him excite this sentiment, which however shall not prevent me from taking any further measures that you may hereafter think proper to suggest. I take this occasion to acknowledge your Letters of the 7^th and 14^th of December 1798. The latter arrived long before the [former], and judging from it's contents that the Musquets would not come in time, I applied [some] of those already in my hands to the purpose for which these last had been directed to be sent; a step from which no inconvenience can arise, as I mark them all in the same manner. Your letter of the 7^th was accompanied by the one from M^r Zebulon Hollingsworth of which a Copy is enclosed. The Musquets have not yet arrived and I have heard no more about them — Perhaps you can find the means of giving them a start from the place where they lie. I am Sir [and] Hodgdon Esq^r Your Most obedient Servant John Kilty --- [Enclosure wrapper — heavily damaged; partially legible endorsements: [undecipherable] Hollingsworth; Received / State Dep't. / Nov. 24, 1831 / R.P.O. 401310] [circled: 35] Bal[timore] February 2[undecipherable] 179[undecipherable] [undecipherable] Sir [undecipherable] I have seen your Letter that you sent here. M^r [undecipherable: Wing?] [to] the Officer of the Revenue respecting My Transactions at [Fell's] Point. When he [undecipherable] me for [undecipherable: explanation?] for my Expenses but to [undecipherable] if your [undecipherable] [When I] Left [Fell's Point] to go to Philadelphia I did Agree with him to [undecipherable] To Return Again [undecipherable] give [undecipherable] that [undecipherable] [he] would not Agree — from [undecipherable: proceeding?] to Philadelphia [undecipherable] of all — Whom you [undecipherable] Proceded to Fell['s] [Point] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] immediately, [undecipherable] [undecipherable: Repairing?] [undecipherable] for the [States?] and [undecipherable] went to work at the [Gun?] Making of [undecipherable] and [undecipherable] [having?] [undecipherable] that was [undecipherable] to the [undecipherable] untill the [Work?] was Atient to Launch. he [undecipherable] Continue [my] wages [undecipherable] and [undecipherable] [he] [undecipherable] him dolla[r]s [I] [undecipherable] he [would] not Agree with [James] [undecipherable: Calvert?] I [Now] [undecipherable] [to?] Philadelphia or to Baltimore I the [undecipherable] for a Settlement which he [Refused?] [undecipherable] [month?] which I [could?] not [undecipherable] was not [having?] a [undecipherable: farthing?] — One [undecipherable] that M^r [undecipherable: Craig?] has [Written?] to you that I was not at work at [Philadelphia?] [undecipherable] [I can] Convince you the fact [was?] [I] was at a [undecipherable: Gunsmith?] [shop?] and the Next [undecipherable] [have?] [Mentioned?] [undecipherable] [At Philadelphia?] I was [employed?] by the [undecipherable] [When?] I thought [When?] a Contract [undecipherable] was [made?] [undecipherable] I found it to the Contrary and [Went on?] [—] [said?] M^r [undecipherable: Craig?] Would [undecipherable] [Work?] [for?] [the?] [allowance?] [for?] [the] traveling [Expenses?] for [undecipherable] Miles at My [E]xpenses, for that reason, [because?] [undecipherable] as I could not [undecipherable] the Contract that [was?] [Not?] [Only?] that [undecipherable] to be [paid?] [upon?] [me?] [Before?] [Money?] to [go?] [undecipherable] I [did?] not [here?] but not [only?] that but not to [take?] any Money from the [next?] [term?] — I [am?] not at Work at Fell's Point, at My Business here and [am?] Willing to [Dispute?] any Demands or [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [just?] [observed?] [undecipherable] This Letter that [undecipherable: Jacobson?] [undecipherable] you when it [some?] [has?] [miss?] to [sign?] it --- [Copy] Sir Elkton January 17^th 1799 A few days a go I received a line from Samuel Hodgdon Esquire, informing me that he had sent a Box containing two Musquets, by a Waggon from Philadelphia, requesting me to forward the box to you by the Land Stage. After much inquiry and search I yesterday found the Box up in Chester County about ten Miles from this place. The Waggon having met with a load of goods for that place left the box there soon as I can get it here I shall send it to you by the Land Stage. This accompanies the letter I found with the Box of Musquets. Your humble Servant (Signed) Zebulon Hollingsworth John Kilty Esquire Supervisor of the Revenue