New-London March 26^th 1796. Sir As William Clark sets of to morrow morning for your city I take the opertunity of sending a few lines to let you know that we are going on as well as can be expected and that if we can be supplied with locks I think all the stocking will be done in eight or nine months at furthest we are going on rapidly with bayonets and in making new Iron mountain our bars being all worked up. We are very peaceable since M^r Wiles hath left us. Times have altred here very much for the worst Indian corn sells here at 9/ per bushel I bought it last year for 8/ per barrel. I will take it as a great favour if you will send by Clarck a copy of the Inventry of my tools as they are waring out very fast it will be difficult to ascertain their value at the time they were first used in the Publick's service. I mean shortly to send you a gun made on a new plan which I think will be found more usefull than any yet introduced for military service. I am Sir with due respect your Obedient Servant Joseph Perkins [Samuel Hodgdon Esq^r Philadelphia.] [Perkins 25^th March Re^d April 10 April 1796]