Fort Mifflin Oct 7th 1797 Sir The order expressed in your favor of the 24th [undecipherable] and was forwarded to me through the purveyors office and received only this day. I will conform to it punctually. However no fault can be imputed to the Workman on the contrary to myself. I find it so difficult to fix the Semi Circular pieces upon which the gun carriages run, that I thought it an advantage to the United States, to make use of some of the live Oak for that purpose, as well as for getting a few saved for making the Joists of the Platform. From the enclosed return which I forward to the purveyor you will see that none of the said live oak was taken without my order, and the quantity so inconsiderable relative to the great numbers of them, and the advantage resulting to this fort that I hope you will not deem it amiss, where my intention was only to promote the interest of the US. For the future every attention will be paid to them as I have hereunto done in their arrangement. To the Honble

       Secretary of War