War Department _ May, 1799. I have received your letter dated Detroit, the 24^th [undecipherable] 1798 enclosing the proceedings [undecipherable] a [undecipherable] Court [undecipherable] convened by your order, at Detroit on the [undecipherable] The [undecipherable] on the [undecipherable] [undecipherable] of the [undecipherable] [regiment?], charged [undecipherable] with desertion. As the [undecipherable] pleaded Guilty and the Court proceeded to sentence him, to a capital punish[undecipherable]. The proceedings and sentence are [undecipherable] for the [President's?] [undecipherable], who [undecipherable] the sentence shall be carried into execution, or [undecipherable]. Desertion has [undecipherable] is an alarm-ing [undecipherable] among [undecipherable], and [undecipherable]-[undecipherable] no period [undecipherable] when a few well placed examples [undecipherable] more [undecipherable] [undecipherable] concern[undecipherable] [undecipherable] when we can [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [service?], [undecipherable] twelve [undecipherable] [undecipherable] and the [undecipherable]. It is [undecipherable] their [officers?], should [undecipherable] us not to [undecipherable] themselves well [undecipherable] a knowledge of the rules and articles of [war?], to which they are [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] the [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] military [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] to the rules, conduct in [cases?] of War, [undecipherable]. [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] General Court [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] the members of the Court [undecipherable] correctly [undecipherable] such condemnation [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] the [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] your obedient servant James McHenry General [Strong?] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] Commanding [the?] [undecipherable] Detroit.