Instructions to Cap't John Boyd — having in charg the Ordnance, and Military Stores of the United States, in the Magazine and Arsenal, at Springfield in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. [1st] Untill Congress shall make some other arrangement respecting the defence and Magazines of the United States you will continue to take charge of the Ordnance and military Store at this place, upon your proper establishment of agency; and agreeably to the powers vested in you by the United States in Congress assembled, as Secretary at War. Requires of you a perfect obedience to the following injunctions. [Viz] 1 That an invariable attention to the public interest committed to your charge, shall decisively mark your conduct — Any instance of neglect or [strikethrough: [undecipherable]] of the public Store will inevitably be the cause of your dismissal and will expose besides just [undecipherable] punishment as the laws may inflict according to the nature of the offence — I take the liberty to mention this point forcibly as inattentions have been emboldened indolent officers from motives of misplaced indulgency, to the great detriment of the public provisions; — to remove from your mind any expectation of that kind — notwithstanding your misfortunes in the field endeavouring [undecipherable] to be the public indulgence of every person in law — At the same time I think [undecipherable], it is but justice to require that every consideration therefore of you — conduct the public Stores at this post [undecipherable] [undecipherable] from behaviour such as befits of your most ability and integrity. 2 You will arrange every species of Store by themselves so that they can easily be compared with the returns — Not a single article however trifling but what must have a fixed place — every thing must be kept in perfect order and neatly — [Viz] 3 You must make it an invariable rule never upon any pretense whatever, to suffer the least particle of powder, or any other substance which by collision would give fire, to be placed in the Magazine — nor any combustible matter to enter the Arsenal — all precautions to be made in the laboratory — [1. 0.] 4 At the preservation of the powder, it is of the highest consequence to the United States, you must give an increased attention to what article — Every barrel of powder must be surveyed monthly from its former system — That is whatever head, rolled monthly [undecipherable] upon the preceding month, it must be placed upon the opposite head, or [undecipherable] the succeeding month — In the months of June July and August annually, the whole powder in the Magazines, in possession, must be taken out & to have spread then upon large [undecipherable], each to behold a barrel, a hand neatly applied to the floor in [undecipherable] mixed up hourly from [undecipherable] in the morning untill [undecipherable] in the afternoon, then when [undecipherable] in barrels, to tight, as to prevent any grains from escaping — Two ounces must be taken from each barrel & [undecipherable] to make two assessments of its strength, the former [undecipherable] each — Every barrel must be numbered and have its strength added as then barrels [undecipherable] for the season — Ol — 3[undecipherable] — the thirty from being assigned for the season — or some more proper scale — [undecipherable] from [undecipherable] and [undecipherable] motion, elevated at 45 — A Register of this, appearing a proof, must be yearly transmitted to the War Office — The first process you will commence in the succeeding month of June — Each barrel must be exactly filled — and no barrel to hold more than one hundred weight — The barrels to be [undecipherable], and [undecipherable] in one parcel of ten each — and one barrel [undecipherable] of each parcel, to be weighed — This measure is absolutely necessary to know with precision the quantity in possession — 5 The Flannel cartridges must be taken from all the pieces that, whether round or case, and together with all the paper cartridges belonging to them, new cartridges to the size, and fastness in barrels — But what is [undecipherable] also [undecipherable] in barrels, with the nature and degree of its defects formally marked on the returns — It upon examining you should find that the powder in the musket cartridges is failing, you will empty the powder from them also & [undecipherable] it as above, but if they should be uncorrupted, you will refresh them by single cartridges to the [undecipherable], annually, to renew the barrels monthly — 6 It is my intention to have the Arms in the most proper order, to which purpose it is probable I shall find [undecipherable] order, to this place, two or three armourers, to be under your direction — In this rule every arm which should be cleaned or repaired must pass through your inspection, and you must be [undecipherable] of them as their [undecipherable] to demand [the] must be delivered out only to the demand [undecipherable] Ordnance and [undecipherable] also to be removed [undecipherable] in the whole Pieces returned into the Deposit — These armourers will be engaged under the just [undecipherable] Agreement, some to be paid in price, which, [undecipherable] are agreed upon for the process, as [undecipherable] on the [undecipherable] side of [undecipherable] Repairs, and the person on the [undecipherable] way of [undecipherable] obtain — [undecipherable] at the times for [undecipherable], [undecipherable] new [undecipherable] order upon order, New York [undecipherable] yearly [undecipherable] — Besides the new forms the [undecipherable] pieces must, rifles must be [undecipherable], Cleaned, and placed in [undecipherable] as the last defence — all [undecipherable] of [undecipherable] rifled barrels as the principal armorer and you, [undecipherable] think [undecipherable] to [undecipherable] the cost may be [undecipherable] and [undecipherable] placed in each — The barrels of the old ordnance and militia Arms, as [undecipherable] make it worth replacing [undecipherable] separated from the [undecipherable] — The hopes and bonds to be allayed by the [undecipherable] — doing a particular effort made to [undecipherable] most [undecipherable] their [undecipherable] qualities — 7 Attention be numbers of the [undecipherable] and [undecipherable] in the return — 8 Transmit to me at [undecipherable] option of the finished buildings and the accurate [undecipherable] of each — Endeavor to form an estimate of the expense which would attend converting the [undecipherable] and [undecipherable] of the laboratory foundry and the [undecipherable] buildings, with proper [undecipherable] and the whole [undecipherable] in a [undecipherable] but decent manner — It is important that the cost of the deposit should be pressed adversely against rain but [undecipherable] from which of more penetrating — Endeavour by [undecipherable] performance — Your [undecipherable] Servant — [signature]