[Address panel: Cha.^s Brown — / [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] / [undecipherable] — [undecipherable] / [undecipherable]] D. Sir. Detroit Feb.^y 12^th 1799 — [State Dep / No [undecipherable] / [undecipherable]] Your last is dated the 2^d. Nov.^t 1797 — my friend why hast thou forsaken me; I have wrote you many letters since which I fear are numbred with the dead Will you be so kind as to inform Doctor Barton that I have a vocabulary & grammar of the Chippaway language for him probably the best on Earth but that I am afraid to trust it by common conveyance, it shall be sent as soon as a safe opportunity presents also that I have began a sett of experiments on plants celebrated by the Indians for their medicinal vertues this will take up the whole summer. Tell the Doctor that I request him to mention the buisness to the Secretary of War that he may not order me from this place till it is accomplished, pray join the Doctor in the application for I think mankind are interested in the event. I am not in very good health — having so long under hard service & in dismal swamps has injured my constitution — for which reason I would sollicit a recall were it not for the circumstances above mentioned as the matter is I wish to remain another winter in the wilderness which will make [strikethrough: eight] nine years, during which [strikethrough: the] [strikethrough: part] time I have not been one hour absent from [strikethrough: my] my duty by sickness or other ways Pray offer my respectfull comp.^ts to M.^r Hodgdon & all your family, write me often do not forget me, you are my all send me newspapers as often as possible & let me know as soon as convenient the fate of my application at the war offi[ce] the Indians have heard that I was to be taken from them & are offended they say their great father Wayne promised that I should stay with them — Adieu your affectionately — Cha.^s Brown Col. Hodgdon &c