[Edm'd H. Quinsey's letter dated April [undecipherable] 97 rec'd 14^th instant] [Received from State Dep't. Nov. [undecipherable] R.P.[undecipherable]] [Address: Samuel Hodgdon Esq^r. Superintendent of the Military & Naval Stores of the United States — By Mail — Philadelphia] Portsmouth New Hamp^re April 4^th 1797 Sir Your favour of the 11^th ultt came duly to hand by Post. In answer to your queries would beg leave to observe — The Stores mentioned in the first line of the Return as received from the United States were a part of the Stores purchased by the Agent for the Frigate primarily intended to have been built & they were before returned by me and are not a distinct purchase — Stacketts receipt to the Naval Agent for those articles of date Nov^r 2, 1796 forwarded to the Sec^y of War will make this more fully appear. The Iron work received from Elisha & James Hill as by return was a part of their contract of supplies for the Algerine Frigate & has no connexion with the Agency of Jacob Sheafe Esq^r or my Clerkship and are not carried into my books — M^r Josiah Doe then Superinten^dt of the Ship desired me to see to the [undecipherable: probable reading "receipt"] of the Iron brought into the Yard &c. I continued to do so until M^r Thompson's appointment — I am now sensible it was unnecessary for me to make return of those articles & w^ch I was in doubt about — I have to apologize for the trouble occasioned you & am Sir with Respect Your Ob^t Ser^t Edmund H. Quinsey Samuel Hodgdon Esq. Superintendent of Military & Naval Stores of the United States Phil^a