Knoxville May 1^st 1799 Sir I have been at Tellico this week, and fixed every part of the Public business in Orders. — M^r Hooker is in want, and anxious for a Supply of Goods, which he will have soon, as the Waggons lately loaded at Philadelphia are within twenty miles of this place, detained by heavy Rains — The Ferry at South West Point so necessary to be made Commodious for travellers is not established upon any Permanency so necessary for them as well as Government; having intimated this deficiency to you the 16^th January and Colonel Butler declining himself and recommending it to me, to rent the same — and a good offer being made by King [undecipherable] for that Situation I shall endeavour to entitle to them, It is Necessary for Government, the Indians And the Troops, that Persons of good Characters Should be Settled there. For respectable Persons will keep off or Subdue the badly inclined, And by good examples good habits will be introduced between the Frontier People and the Indians So Necessary for Peace — And the Gentlemen noticed Are responsible by established reputations and their Interest I am very Respectfully y^r Hum Ser^t The Honorable Signed D. H[undecipherable] James M^cHenry Secretary of War Philadelphia [Enclosed to the Secretary in the above Letter Are for M^r Lashmore and one for M^r Byers — Supposing them Connected with Public Business, They were [undecipherable] of M^r Hooker. D. H.]