[letter & the Sir, 2. first were not in due time not recorded in place.] Treasury Department Receiv'd at Office October 3^d 1795 Enclosed is a copy of a letter received by me from Major Hodgdon in reply to one of mine to him relative to the objects mentioned in yours to him of the [undecipherable] of the 29 instant. There was not time to copy it this day; or I should have sent it. Having called twice upon [undecipherable] Stagg on the business, and not being able to see him, I felt a [undecipherable] reproving of my readiness to do every thing in my power, and my desire to review such draughts of letters and other informations, [would] enable me to see what was wanting. I have not received from him any letters or papers relative to the objects of your letter of the [undecipherable] alluding to me, except the [undecipherable] of yours to M^r Hodgdon for which I was able to make a particular application. —— Then appears a probability that the business desired of me, may be a superintendence not satisfactory to those Gentlemen. It seems to be a part of the duties of the Secretary at War, wherefore there is some delicacy in my pursuing the business in a degree [undecipherable] to them without [undecipherable: regular] authorization. The business however is so important to the public service, and to the safety and comfort of the Militia that I shall continue to attend to it as far as possible. The offers for the provision contract were [undecipherable: only] two, that of Elliott & Williams which you considered as inadmissible at 10 cents & [undecipherable] me from [undecipherable] of Lancaster & Pittsburg at 8½ cents — with a right to receive any proportion of [undecipherable] meal [undecipherable]. The Sureties which have been mentioned [undecipherable] at least in [undecipherable], [undecipherable] and [undecipherable] of James [undecipherable] Miller, [undecipherable] persons [undecipherable] esteem & confidence. The price at Fort Washington last year was 8½ [cents], [undecipherable] at Pittsburg 7 [undecipherable]. The latter was then put low probably because it was a place of [undecipherable] delivery. It is not [undecipherable] to take the highest market [undecipherable] for [undecipherable] at [undecipherable] from the obvious effects of the present movement of the Militia. —— If War should unhappily occur, this contract will be low, for the demand and plenty of money will raise the prices of every thing. Indeed the latter circumstance has produced that effect already. —— Gen Huntington could not dispatch the axe-men & carpenters untill the 25 Ult the ordered, on the passage of the law on the [undecipherable] with of June. Captain Barry will sail tomorrow for Georgia. I have given him authority to engage Vessels to the Southward. The Live Oak, Cedar, [undecipherable] sighted [undecipherable] these [undecipherable] Beams, will load, by estimate 34 sail of vessels of 100 Tons. Since M^r [undecipherable: Habersham's] letter of the 2 September mentioning his making the contracts, I have not a line from him, to inform me of the places to which to destine the [undecipherable] this post comes in 20 days. This Brigantine goes to the Island of St Simons on the positive information of Major Hopkins, that Morgan is cutting there. The vessel, 10 yokes, & two pairs of horses with four drivers and another pair of [undecipherable] wheels go in this vessel. The Naval agents have been instructed to request all vessels bound from their Ports to Georgia to make application to the Collector of the customs at Savannah for wood on freight to the posts of building. — Two have already presented and as this method will avoid some inconveniences it will be pursued by advertisement The Secretary of the Treasury I have the honor to be &c Signed T. [undecipherable] C. R.