[undecipherable] [War Office March 23. 1795. Secretary War. Duplicate] [Duplicate] War Office March 23. 1795. Sir, Your letters of January 18. and 23 were duly received. The completing of the building you call a barrack for the purposes mentioned, will be desirable. But my experience in public teams which you think should be provided convinces me that they would only be a bill of cost without adequate advantage; and that the public goods would be transported cheaper and at least as safe in private as in public teams. There may be the same check upon the fidelity of the Wagoners as the private traders have; I mean by invoices and receipts. You say the public arms want repairs: is there no armourer to be obtained on the spot? Are tools and materials wanting? If you will give particular information in that matter, what is necessary shall be done. It will doubtless be useful to furnish you with the old invoices of [undecipherable: probable reading stores] sent thither, that they may be accounted for. They shall be collected and forwarded. If the quantity of blanketting which you mention as lying at Mr. Richardson's at [undecipherable] be considerable, it will be well for you to go and examine it yourself: and if this be impracticable, to send some one to do it on whom you can depend; and if worth transporting to have it transported before it finally [undecipherable]. The principle of proportioning the Officers to the number of men they command, is a very just one. All legislative and executive acts for calling out the militia, must be presumed to have relation to this principle; and I think you warranted in conforming to it. But I have no idea that an Act of Congress passed in 1777 for regulating the troops then can be of any validity at this day. The business you have to transact requiring assistance, I approve of your employing Mr. [undecipherable] the French Gentleman whom you so strongly recommend. Considering the cheapness of living in that Country where you are, I should suppose three hundred dollars a year an adequate compensation; indeed better than five hundred in Philadelphia — Who are the [undecipherable] persons employed in the Territory who are not so useful? I beg you to communicate freely whatever information may correct abuses and save a needless expense of money. Economy has at no time been more necessary on account of this extraordinary demand on the Treasury especially to defray the heavy expenses of the expedition for quelling the insurgents in the Western parts of Pennsylvania— Colonel [undecipherable], Muster Master for Mero District has been liberally paid. As you appear to place entire confidence in him and think the office of Paymaster may be usefully combined with that of Muster Master, let him be so employed. But I think in future he ought to perform both duties for the rate of pay hitherto allowed him as Muster Master. Indeed I hope the calls for militia will be so much diminished, as to render it unnecessary to keep a Muster and Paymaster in constant pay. I rather suppose it more proper to pay for the quantity of services which shall be actually rendered: and that this should be the rule of compensation from the time to which Colonel [undecipherable] was paid which was the thirty first day of December last. The whole sum appropriated by Congress for the defensive protection of the whole of our frontiers during the current year is One hundred and thirty thousand dollars. Your estimate for [undecipherable] has been received by Mr. [undecipherable]. An abstract of it will this day be laid before the Secretary of the Treasury. If the notion of [undecipherable: probable reading Chickasaws] concur with William [undecipherable: probable reading Blount] and his party in the request made to General Robertson last January, with which you are acquainted, to erect a post at the [undecipherable] crossing place on the Tennessee, and if the [undecipherable] indisputably own the land, and the Cherokees do not claim it, [undecipherable] also consents to this measure, [undecipherable] post is to be established — as well for the purposes of [undecipherable] Trade as defence. In this case some articles will be wanted. The Governor will prescribe what he deems absolutely requisite; and you are to provide them. The price of [undecipherable] delivered at that post will of course be enhanced: but should as in other cases be supplied by Contract. There has been a claim [undecipherable] for pay for George [undecipherable] as Muster [undecipherable] for [undecipherable] of the South Western Territory. Dr. [undecipherable] and [undecipherable] him as very meritorious — and at the same time as very poor. I wish [undecipherable] particularly to enable me to decide upon the demands [undecipherable] Sir Your humble Servant Timothy Pickering Sec^ty War. [David Henley]