f. G. [undecipherable] f. Cherubel XXXV-57 p. 2 May it please your Excellency, Forts 13 June 1799 There is no Office under an active Manager, which deserves the attention which is never bestow'd upon those in our charge, [undecipherable] in the first place the variety of business, which a contracted sphere of action in the manufacturing branch, embraces is various; besides the complicated, expenditure with accumulating the necessary supplies relating to the Establishment. May it please your Excellency to attend to an imperfect history of our operations. Having had on or about the 29^th of feb^y 98, the arrangement of this post's assigned to me, it required constant attention & exertion, to put them in a state of respectability; and of Security, having undivided authority over the few men which were appropriated to the business of the Garrison, I succeeded so as to have the Works of the National Storehouse & the barracks & all Quarters repaired, & these awful ground in Public docks the amount of Seven or Eight hundred dollars, and have Procured great Quantities of Timber, Plank & [undecipherable] for the repairs of Fort Mifflin in Particular, these works of the fortifications of course kept pace according to the Seasons of the Year, and for a just & true knowledge of the proceedings of the Company of Artillerists & Engineers, the Soldiers and the Labourers Employed in the Business of the Post [undecipherable] directed to the returns of the Companies & the different reports of the Agent for Fortifications, & the Quarter Master, who I hope has rendered account of all materials rec^d by him for the repairs of those Posts, & all advances of money to any person or any description of Expenditure whatever; having kept a regular account, which will shew the application of all the Money advanced by the Agent of the Department of War or the Contractor or otherwise received from what ever source - the Right of the Men is Kept by the Adjutant, and Returns of Absent Soldiers Collected Quarterly. In the first place I must notice that I was determined as I hoped to be approved, to have commenced a fort that should last, I established on the principle of the most permanent work, of compact workmanship, with well tempered & well prepared mortar, & it is worth of your note, that Fort Mifflin is a Place of some size, and there were formerly, when supposed to be Completed, of upwards of 40 years of age, partially built, it will require at least three years more, and a handsome annual sum to give it any Compleat form, even according to an imperfect Plan of mine, which was the best I could render having no Engineer, I have now begun at a Period when the masonry is in its best state & judging of the time & Expense from for the finishing of Mifflin from the past work and expenditure, together with the repairs &^c going on at Mud Island, I am confident the Annual Expense including Pay, rations & Clothing of men that work on the Buildings & Fortifications will not amount to more than Twenty five Thousand Dollars. I thought it was not the intention of the War Department to establish a fixed Garrison in the forts for defence, upon a regular system of Garrisoning which would include Staff departments &^c as must result from such an establishment, but simply to Garrison them for their Security with a view merely to carry on the repairs of the Fortifications, under which impression I have been acting & hope for the future, that you will give the Garrisons such protection in all other respects as their situation may require, without adding the additional burthen