[Copy] War office May 9^th 1795 Sir M^r. A Foster of Nashville now in town is desirous of furnishing all supplies which shall be ordered for the Chichasaw & Choctow Indians, at that place. they are wont, it seems, to resort to General Robertson, who is the Superintendant employed by the United States for a few years past. I find those supplies have been very expensive; for M^r Foster tells me the rate of advance is one hundred per cent on the Philadelphia prices. He now offers to furnish those supplies twenty per cent cheaper than the current prices of the traders or Merchants in that Settlement provided he can furnish them exclusively. I have supposed it would be eligible to agree with him on those terms for the [underline: contingent] demands of the Indian department at that place: yet as the President last July promised the Chichasaw Chiefs, who were then in Philadelphia to furnish them with good goods annually, to the amount of three thousand dollars I shall give such instructions to General Robertson relative to the distribution of those goods, as will nearly, perhaps entirely, supersede all other suppliers; or if any should be called for the occasions will be in the strictest sense contingent. I will thank you to express your opinion of this matter to-day, as M^r Foster expects to leave town on monday. The 3000 dollars worth of goods for the Chachasaws he will undertake to transport to Nashville, with his own — I am your H^ble Servant Signed, Timothy Pickering P.S. If you approve of the measure of giving to M^r Foster the exclusive right to furnish the supplies the purchasing Agent (who he tells me is a M^r Joicy) must be instructed accordingly, as well as Col^o. Henley. The Secretary of the Treasury [Endorsement: War office / May 9^th 1795 / Timothy Pickering / Furnishing Supplies]