Nashville July 2, 179[?] Sir I have wrote. to ^the Secretary of War on the subject of my contract, with Government for furnishing the Indians (Supplies who resort to this place,) of which I inclose you a copy, I received a letter a few days ago from Colonel Hawkins, advising me to address the Secretary on that head — I should be much obliged to you to forward. as early as possible [undecipherable] letter — I feel consious, if [undecipherable] your province, that you will accomodate me — Gen^l. Robertson being discontinued, would place the Indians in an aukward situation, provided they were to come here on any business public or [undecipherable] person to hear them, or even give them [undecipherable] — it would induce them to believe we were about to forsake them — you may laugh, & think I have an entheast, by being so warm towards [undecipherable], though it is a fact what I have stated above relative to them — your very Hum^ble I hope to hear from you shortly. [undecipherable] [A.] Foster [Copy] Nash Ville. July 1^st 1797. Sir, Col^t. Hawkins having lately annull'd Gen^l. Robertson's appointment as superintendant of Indian affairs for the District of Mero, on account of the act of Congress making it necessary that the Agents should reside in the Nation, it becomes necessary that I should address you on a subject, in which it must appear I am Interested. By Contract with the late Secretary of war, M^r. Pickering, I engaged to furnish the Indians with such supplies as the superintendant might think necessary. The Contract (a copy of which is enclosed) Specifies, that the Contract shall continue in force untill I shall on the one part or the Secretary of the Treasury or of war on the other shall give notice one to the other that the same is to be discontinued — The intention of this clause was understood by me as a safety to the Contractor with regard to laying in such supplies as might be wanting for the Indians — Many of those Goods are not usually wanted by the Country people, the consequence of which would be if the Contract was dissolved without some notice, that the Goods would lye on my hands without being able to sell — Upon the faith of the Contract Sir I laid in a quantity of Goods for the Indians last winter a great part of which now remain on hand without a probability of selling them — No Goods can [undecipherable: probable reading "go"] with-out an order and since there is no superintendant all business must stop — Supposing Col^t. Hawkins not to have been acquainted with the tenor of my Contract with Government — I have written him upon the subject. In answer he advised me to address the Secretary of war upon the occasion — As it would be difficult to prevent the Indians from coming here and passing through this place, on public business it is more than probable some supplies will still be wanting untill an Agent and Store keeper is appointed in the Nation — This circumstance together with the confidence I have in the Contract induces me to hope that the Government will not [undecipherable: probable reading "let"] me suffer — but will take the Goods I now have on hand — Suffer me to request Sir that you will do me the honour to give me information on the subject — I am sir with the most profound [undecipherable] Anthony Foster [Copy] The Hon^ble James McHenry, Secretary of War