Since my return from Washington the trunk in my possession, containing letters to & from the General, has been carefully examined, and the enclosed have been taken from the bundles found in it. Not doubting but that a much larger number of your letters are in the trunks at Richmond, I have written to the Chief Justice to request that he will in the course of the summer look over those bundles and enclose to me all that he can find from you to the General.

     I have postponed answering your favor of the 18th Ulto until this time hoping that a more favorable change in the weather & the removal of a Cold which I have had for some time would have permitted me without imprudence to go into an outhouse where my papers are kept and to select those you want. In both of these respects I have been disappointed, and as I must leave home in a day or two for Washington, it will be out of my power to collect the letters & forward them as you request until after my return.

     I recd a few days ago your favor of the 28 Augt and in answer thereto, I beg to assure that it will give me pleasure to furnish you with the letters you request, or such of them as can be found; for the papers sent to the Chief Justice, and which are still at Richmond, have been very extensively mutilated by rats and otherwise injured by damp as he not long since informed me.

I have Just understood from a friend of Mr Edmund Lee of Alexandria,² that it is his wish to fill the vacancy on the bench of the District Court of Columbia occasioned by the death of Judge Ducket. I have for some years past had the pleasure of more than a common acquaintance with this gentleman and believe that I may with perfect confidence safely introduce³ him to you as a sound lawyer, and a man of the strictest⁴ integrity. 

I have the honour to be with very great respect Sir yr. mo. ob. Servt. 

I recollect with shame how long you have been in advance for the wine you were so good as to import for me. On my return from the Northward in July, I was informed by Mr Forest of its arrival, & I then requested him to procure from you an account of its cost & to enclose it to me that it might be immediately paid. This however, from some course or other, was not done, and my subsequent absence from home, together with the sickness & deaths in our family have hitherto prevented me from writing to you on the subject.

     Forsyth's treatise which you were so polite as to lend me, I brought as far as Alexa., with an intention of returning it as I passed thro' the City, but in the hurry which an unexpected call of the Stage occasioned, the book was forgotten. I wrote last night from George town to request it might be sent on to you today, but lest this may not have been done, I forward you a Copy from this place. Should both go safe to hand, you will have the goodness to leave one of them with Mr Forest until my return.