War Dep^t. 27^th of May 1800 I have received your Letters, dated the 15^th and 28^th of September, and the 26^th of February last — I am sorry to inform you, that the two [strikethrough: undecipherable] Shipments made to [undecipherable] Johnson on Court[undecipherable] and [undecipherable] Martin, have been re- ceived by this Department — The first Shipment amounting to £160. 11. 6^d came easily to hand — But of the arrival of the second Ship- ment in this Country [undecipherable] [undecipherable] had [undecipherable] in- formation before the 27[th] [undecipherable] of New York from a M^r [undecipherable] that I received a letter informing me that [undecipherable] Charles and [undecipherable] [undecipherable] Governor [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] of [undecipherable] Ship Mary [undecipherable] to Berry, and were [undecipherable] Ship Mary [undecipherable] — that he had [undecipherable] [undecipherable] the [undecipherable] and [undecipherable] [undecipherable] the [undecipherable] had been sold [undecipherable] [undecipherable] and would [undecipherable] from the time [undecipherable] [undecipherable] and send them to [undecipherable] apply for the proceeds, and send them to the [undecipherable] Shipment — After the receipt of [undecipherable] to M^r Lawrence's Letter — I immediately wrote a Statement & the [undecipherable: Collector?] of [undecipherable] relating to [undecipherable] of the [undecipherable] dated the 1^st [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] when the [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] in the Month of February 179[undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] in [undecipherable] Month [undecipherable] [undecipherable] from under the Ship Mary [undecipherable] — [undecipherable] to Order — that the [undecipherable] on Board [undecipherable] [undecipherable] he is informed by the [undecipherable] does not know who [undecipherable] the [undecipherable] [undecipherable] does not know [undecipherable] for. [undecipherable] having [undecipherable] [undecipherable] in the [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] — [N^o [undecipherable]] Then the Law allows — it was at length sold at publick auction, for payment of the duties There are disagreeable facts to [undecipherable] [undecipherable] an article. From ideas of im- portance to be [undecipherable] in the [undecipherable] of the United States — and had I received any intimation of [undecipherable] of — I should have [undecipherable] [undecipherable] to [undecipherable] This day closes my Official du- ties as Secretary of War — I retire to Bal- timore Town Maryland — [strikethrough: undecipherable] where I shall esteem myself honoured, to receive any future communications from you in a private capacity — With sincere wishes for your health and prosperity — I have the honor to be with [very?] sincere esteem & regards D^r S^r Your most Ob^t [signature — undecipherable] [27 May 1800] [His Excy R. King]