I attended the general post office on the 14th. of January 1805—accompany’d by General Carey—General Moon & Colo. Earle, in order to contract for some of the Southern post-routs, on making my business known to the post master general, I informed him those gentlemen were acquainted with me, & he was at liberty to make any enquiry of them he pleased, he said if I meant they would recommend me it was unnecessary, that my past performance as a contracter was a better recommendation with him than all south Carolina beside—as the receiving the proposals ended that day I entered my proposals & waited till the 16th. finding there was no proposals below mine I requested the post master geniral to have a Bond made out for my former rout, from Columbia to Greenville which was done & Colo. Earle became my Security, I thin requested a Bond to be made out, for the rout from Burk NC.’ to Pendleton S.C.’ at which time Major Holland came in had a private conversation with the post master general—he then evaded taking the Bond, saying the weather was extreamly bad & several mails due, & that there might be proposals on the road below mine, if so it would not be doing the publick Justice, but assured me at the same time, that if it was not the case that I should have the contract, to which he pledged his honour, I observing his report to Congress that he gives Alexander O. Gilbert Six hundred dollars for that rout—in order to shew that the publick is defrauded out of 320 dollars in that rout, I send you a copy of his letter & certificate, the original is in my possession & ready to be produced at any time—