[undecipherable] War [undecipherable: Department] 3^d. May. 1799. Sir, I [undecipherable] you the [undecipherable] copies of two Garrison Courts Martial, one held on Governor's [undecipherable] the 25^th September 1795, the other on [undecipherable] the 7^th November 1798, both out[undecipherable] [undecipherable] Major [undecipherable] Troops, and the proceedings [undecipherable] by this Officer to me. The [undecipherable] Articles of War do not in [undecipherable] [undecipherable] require a reference to the Secretary of War, or to the President in any [undecipherable] of the proceedings of a Garrison Court Martial, or the [undecipherable] or [undecipherable]. This is only [undecipherable] for [a] General Court Martial, when [undecipherable] [undecipherable] to be with the proceedings of the court transmitted for the President's [undecipherable] or otherwise the sentence, and the [undecipherable] [undecipherable] in all cases, to be [undecipherable] and kept in the War [undecipherable: Office], in order to [undecipherable] the parties [undecipherable] copies thereof [undecipherable] convicted or acquitted. Your [undecipherable] Officers, could [undecipherable] be generally [undecipherable] pressed with an opinion, that the [undecipherable] of my department is sufficiently extensive, which it does not [undecipherable] belong to it. On the [undecipherable], the [undecipherable] courts, whose proceedings [undecipherable], were [undecipherable] not to have been [undecipherable]. [undecipherable] please [undecipherable] me [undecipherable]. I am Sir with great respect your obedient servant [undecipherable: Major] General Ham[undecipherable: ilton]. James McH[undecipherable: enry]