City of Washington November 19^th 1800. Sir, Since the unfortunate aff[undecipherable] I have ^been so much engaged in arranging, removing, and arrang[ing] the papers of the office that I have really had [undecipherable] to communicate with any of my friends — You will therefore readily excuse me on the score of w[undecipherable] [of] attention to your letter by M^r Holt. I have rec[undecipherable] from him the Twenty dollars — but he declined, pay[undecipherable] [undecipherable] the Quarter Master until the end of the year [undecipherable] his funds were barely Sufficient to [undecipherable] him home. So much could be said on the subject of politics that to begin would lead me into difficulties, and [undecipherable] therefore can only say that I pray to God whateve[r] ma[undecipherable] [undecipherable], may have the effect of preserving this our happ[y] Country. Believe me your friend P Hagner Saml Hodgdon Esq. [Address panel: Samuel Hodgdon Esq^r / Superintendent of [undecipherable] Stores / Philadelphia / favors by [undecipherable]] [Received stamp: Received / State [undecipherable] / Nov[ember] [undecipherable]]