[Endorsed in upper right corner (rotated): Colonel [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] / a D[undecipherable] [undecipherable] 1799 / In [undecipherable] Chair —] [Stamp: Received / State Dep't / Nov. 24. 1804 / R.P.O. 401810.] [Circled number: 47] [Address: Samuel / Hodgson Cap^t / of [undecipherable] lieutenant [undecipherable] / Philadelphia] Springfield February 27^th 1799 Sir Monday last about 9 O'Cl A.M. the Armory filing & finishing Shop was discovered to be on fire in several places on the roof, happily by the timely & unremitting exertions of the Armourers & Inhabitants of the Town, the fire was extinguished with the loss of some part of the Roof & some few Gun Stocks the number at present, I am not able to ascertain Fortunately the Morning was calm, otherwise from the severity of the Weather & the small supply of Water, the Consequences might have been dreadful. The accident is supposed to have happened by a Spark falling from the Chimney. I am satisfied it was not carelessness in the Workmen. — Some time last fall I took the liberty of acquainting the Hon^ble Secretary of War, of the Compact situation of the Public Buildings & their exposure, from the many fires that were constantly & necessarily kept up, and at the same time suggested the expediency of having a few more trees & two or three Cisterns, sunk near the Buildings to serve as a Reservoir for Water — that the public furnish a good Engine for this department — this provision with the assistance of the Inhabitants of this Town with these Engine would in all probability ensure the safety of the Buildings — As you are no Stranger to the situation of the Magazines &c and the Valuable property they contain — the necessity of some means to Check this devouring Element — when ever it assumes the Mastery — will readily occur to you — I am Sir Your obedient serv^t Joseph Williams P.S. As a rumour has gone abroad, that all the Public Buildings are burnt down. I thought it my duty to give you this information. Samuel Hodgson Esquire