War department July 12. 1794 Sir, All supplies in the Ordnance department must be pur- chased under the orders of the Secretary of the Treasury and of course the Armourers, Tools &c. the estimates of which I shall transmit to him — I request you to instruct M^r Nicholson to engage the Armourers upon the terms mentioned in your letter of yesterday He will be the Superintendant but it will be necessary first to obtain the Presidents approbation. But he had better go off under the new appointment which shall retrospect to this day — I am Sir Your humble Servant — H Knox [undecipherable: probable reading Jay-plear] Samuel Hodgdon Esq^r