[Endorsement, top right, rotated:] [undecipherable] Philadelphia — [undecipherable] [undecipherable] 1799 Samuel Hodgdon Esq.^r War Departm.^t Philadelphia, 27.^th Feb. 1799 Sir In 1791, I was ordered by General Knox, then Secretary of War to make an inspection of the Ordnance and military stores the property of the U.S., in the State of Virginia, and in pursuance of his instructions I appointed M^r Dan.^t Ball to be Store Keeper at Manchester. - That there might not be any dispute relative to the rent of the Store in which the arms &c were deposited I submitted it to arbitration - the certificate you have sent me is the award. - For further information I refer you to a report I made to the Secretary of War on the 9.^t July 1791 who approved of the measures I had taken for the security of the public property. I do not recollect whether I paid any part of the rent - you may ascertain this by examining the account I settled w.^th M^r [undecipherable: probable reading Frowels] about the time I made my report to the Secretary. I am with great esteem Sir Your humble Serv.^t J. Ant.^t Freeman Sam.^el Hodgdon Esq.^r