War Dep^t 25 April 1799. D^r Sir. Cap^t Mullins has inform'd me that he has address'd you with a view to obtain leave of absence for 12 months, and that [strikethrough: he has pro]pos'd to relinquish his pay & emoluments during his absence and to have his letter considered as a resignation in case the service should require his office to be filled [strikethrough: at some time if] at any time before his return[strikethrough: as] [strikethrough: Cap^t Mullins] When [strikethrough: x] spoke to me some time since upon this subject [strikethrough: your his application being made in your absence] I gave him reason to expect, that [strikethrough: the measure they] [strikethrough: it would be granted, calculating] I did not think [undecipherable] [strikethrough: that it would not the same] As [strikethrough: thinking at] [strikethrough: it is] I not probable that the [strikethrough: would be] Cavalry [strikethrough: executive immediately] [strikethrough: otherwise] raised and I was desirous [to] [strikethrough: reason to approve] [strikethrough: a] [strikethrough: a foreign] [strikethrough: represent] [strikethrough: appoint to bold told the interest of] retain him in the army in the [strikethrough: and of the Dragoons in] [strikethrough: plum] of [strikethrough: other] service. [strikethrough: Continue in the army] I can see no [strikethrough: violent] objections [strikethrough: short and] of sufficient force to induce a [strikethrough: gross] denial As his request is [strikethrough: thus] [strikethrough: I submit however] [strikethrough: A to grant] [strikethrough: to use] leave the U.S. [strikethrough: attend] to [strikethrough: it]— [strikethrough: now] supports [strikethrough: Whether it will] he [strikethrough: ever come] [strikethrough: conformable] be proper that it should proceed from the President, or is it fully within your competency [strikethrough: for] [strikethrough: that I grant] to grant it? If [strikethrough: the former] [strikethrough: forces] I [strikethrough: concurren] would promote it [strikethrough: may] and if any concurrence of mine is [strikethrough: now] nece[ss]ary to you [strikethrough: necess] consider [strikethrough: this as] [strikethrough: conveying] [strikethrough: x] as [strikethrough: granting] it. With real regard [signature] [administrative notation, rotated: upon a Hamilton. [undecipherable] 210 [undecipherable] 1799] in Hamilton