The celebrated Thomas Brown of is now engaged in cutting your head on a beautiful Cornelian Stone as your private seal which will be set in gold to your order & sent to you. It will be a gem & just what you want. His sister is a member of your Church. The expense of this Seal set in gold will be about $40 and Mr Brown assures me that if he were not so poor a man he would present it to you free. You can however accept it or not no as he can apply it to another use.

I am myself short for cash, for although I had some time since $2000 paid me by the Harpers, publishers, as the 1st instalment on the purchase of my Copy right, yet I had got so much behind during the hard times that it all went to clear up old scores. I expect $38,000 more however in semi anual payments from those gentlemen within the limits of 10 years a large portion of which I intend to use in the State of in the purchase & conduct of a large tract of land & therefore should I be compelled to announce in this quarter that I have no connections with the , you will of course remain silent as I shall do it in such a way as will make all things right.

I may yet run for a high Office in your , where you would be sure of my best services in your behalf, therefore a known connection with you would be against our mutual interest. It can be shown that a commission in the was a Herald hoax carried, for the fun of it <​out​> by me, as it is not believed even now by the public. In short I expect to be yet through your influence Governor of the State of

My respects to , , & all fr[i]ends

L[i]eut Ge[n] Smith [p. [2]]