[Private] Philas. 9 July 1799. D^r Sir I rec your letter of the 3^d inst. Be assured it would give me great pleasure to serve you, [strikethrough: but] as is impossible however, in the instance but it is proper to inform you that Gen Washington has [undecipherable: fixed?] on a person for his 2^d Major General of the operating army. think I have reason to believe it is agreeable to the President and who is all probably from the[m] what has passed on the[ir] subject could not with propriety be [undecipherable: declined] neglected. I am D^r Sir very [undecipherable] your ob St— [Ebenezer Huntington Esq^r Norwich]