36 To Samuel Hodgdon Esquire Philadelphia Pittsburg 10 April 1801 Dear Sir, Your letter of of the 3d [undecipherable] is this moment come to hand. You observe that the Genl your successor has been some time in Town without calling on you Pray is it not probable he may or has declined accepting your Office Indeed I am astonished that he ever applied for it and am persuaded he will soon be tired of it - Should he undertake it he certainly meant some other place when he applied The Genl and QrMrGenl have not yet returned from the Seat of Government but are expected on the 15th on their arrival I shall know how I stand - Previous to the General’s departure I mentioned to him that I expected to be displaced to make room for some one of the faithful to which he replied that he could not imagine that any alteration that might take place would affect me and further that his influence should be vested in my favour - but as I place but little confidence in the Generals professions I am on the look out I shall shortly open the Trunk containing the Commissary Accounts and endeavour to obtain the wanting Vouchers and shall call on Major Kirkpatrick and inform him that he is still involved in that business - I have had twenty [undecipherable] of the Iron Cannon viz ten 24 [undecipherable], sight twelve [undecipherable] & eight of [undecipherable] and twenty three of these [undecipherable] are sent off to be [undecipherable] the remaining three Guns are to follow together with all the Carriages as soon as the boats return - I am now at the particular request of the General superintending a laboratory where a numbers of Capt Reads and Livingstons men together with all the Artillery Officers 37 off other duty are employed in fixing Ammunition - In the course of this business I observe that the present Artillery Officers are as ignorant of their duty as those of the Revo-lutionary army - I trust you will have an opportunity of seeing the Secretary at the period of your retiring from business and that you will not neglect to mention to him my old unsettled claim. I am I.c I.C