[1799 ap^r] S^r. I have this moment reced your letter dated the 25 of March ult^o. I shoud speak readily on [undecipherable] State on the subject of your letter to [undecipherable] but you carry your ideas of any intercourse between the black General and our Government far beyond any thing contemplated. It has been out of my power to seize a moment to present your case to the President before his departure. I shall however neglect it. There are 4h non chiefly 24 pounders on M^r Browns Wharf at Providence belonging to the U.S. I have directed [undecipherable: jun] Hamilton to ascertain from you where they can be most usefully located to the Eastward and among the works contem in contemplated; and and to direct M^r Crane to have them [undecipherable] to those places. If any of them can be spared for New York on that [undecipherable: Mission] you will point it out. The money has been [undecipherable: ordered] for M^r Crane and has been delayed by those Bank operations required for the safe transmission with great respect I am D^r sir your ob^t James McHenry [undecipherable: [undecipherable] [undecipherable: Rivard]]