[Colonel Samuel Hodgdon Commandant of Stores at [undecipherable] [undecipherable] Philadelphia] [Received from State Dep't. Nov. 24, 1894. B.P.O.401810.] Marietta 21^st February 1800. Sir In my letter of the 1^st. November 1797 from D'Etroit I informed you that I had obtained a furlough to visit my family, and that the next Returns would be made by M^r. A. Sheiffelin was then appointed an assistant in this business & who was to succeed me in the Departments in which I acted & concluded that you was engage inform'd of it by General Wilkinson's letter — a copy of his to me on the subject & will enclose for you — As I had never been absent from my employment only 23 Days in the term of almost three Years & hired a man to attend the Stores during my absence — the General gave me a leave of absence without Specifying the time of my re[turn] which depended on the event of my wages being augmented, which I always thought incom[undecipherable] to my services, this was also the opinion of both the Generals — General [undecipherable] then Secretary of War from whom I had my appointment being removed to the Office of Secretary of State and General Wayne's Death prevented me from pursuing my applications for an addition to my wages. I therefore informed General Wilkinson that I wished to retire from the business. Sometime after he wrote me that he had announced my resignation on the first of [June] 1798: but as you did not receive his letter, it is probable that it was addressed to the Secretary of War — Previous to my leaving D'Etroit I opened new Books for both Departments & carried all the accounts into them, and informed M^r Sheiffelin under what authority [he] acted & gave him every information in my power relating to the business, this I did as I proposed not to return unless my wages were raised — — I now forward dated accounts correspondence with the Returns & sent to you from D[etroit] to the 1^st. November 1797 — I cannot carry the accounts any any farther than to the time at which M^r. Sheiffelin took [up] the business without going to D'Etroit which is 300 miles from this place — When the troops left Greenesville for D'etroit a considerable quantity of Stores were left here — some months after these Stores were ordered to be separated & sent some to the northward & some to the southward, & no account was sent to me of this Separation or distribution; which will account in a great measure for the Deficiencies in the accounts. I did every thing in my power to keep the accounts as regular as possible: but in the extensive circle of Posts, the number of the Books in various situations required that issues should be made when I had no knowledge of it, & no accounts of the same being sent to me some irregularity must inevitably take place — I presume Sir that you must have experienced some thing of this kind in the business in which you have acted in the various Departments in the public service — I wish Sir to assure you that I did not retire from the service because I was dissatisfied with you or any of the Heads of Departments — but for the reasons above mentioned — Should you consider M^r. Sheiffelin as still acting under me & that I should settle the accounts I must go to D'Etroit in such case & hope my pay will be considered as going on — Since my return from Cincinnati I have received your letter of the 27^th December last — I engage to attend at that place again in November & December next — when I will attend to the subject of your lands in that Quarter & make such communications respecting them as you have desired. I am Sir with great respect R: J: Meigs. Col^° Hodgdon --- [Gen^l Wilkinson's Letter to [undecipherable]] [Received from State Dep't. Nov. 24, 1894. B.P.O.401810.] Marietta June 11^th 1798 My dear Sir— I have announced your resignation on the first of the present month, at which time you will be pleased to take notice, your pay & emoluments are to cease — I hailed to take you by the hand, and regret that I had not the opportunity, as the Lord only knows where we may again meet — I shall continue some Days at Fort Washington and probable proceed thence to the Mississippi, we shall have [undecipherable] of that — trust me even the [undecipherable] of our Country men will be in strict unison — Heaven guide you & your ways — your friend. Ja: Wilkinson. [Copy] Col^°. R. Meigs --- P.S. Sir I had forgot your mentioning that a quantity of Clothing was sent forward in the fall of '97 addressed to me as a Deposite to meet the calls that might be [made?] — * [undecipherable] marked — "Fort Massac Deposite" — With respect to this Clothing I can give no information — I left D'Etroit the beginning of November '97 which may be the reason of the address not coming to my hands — I think it probable that the clothing you mention was sent immediately from Pittsburgh on its arrival there down the River to the letters at D'Etroit — R.J. Meigs