[Received from State Dept. Nov. 24 [undecipherable] R.P.O.40 1810.] [Owid stores — 31^st January 1798. No. 17 Feb —] [24¾] Col^o Samuel Hodgdon Esquire Philadelphia Springfield January the 31: 1798 Sir I give my self the pleasure to inclose you a return of the work done in the Armourers Shop at this place in the month of January— And must acquaint you that we shall not be able to find more Stocks that is fitt for use out of all that is now on hand then to keep at work longer than the 15 of March. And with you would please to Send me at Newhaven 250 good Stocks the oportunity which I can get brought from there in a waggon, they will last till the River opens, to that boats can pass. And then ten or twelve hundred that is good and well assorted— the ones now on hand would last three months longer if they were not so full of nots and cracks as to render them unfit for use. If there is no Vesell bound from Philadelphia to Newhaven, if you can Send them to Newyork they may be brought to Newhaven at any time— the person who brings them should be requested to informe me as soon as they arrive — I Think Sir if the works are to be Extended at this place that the Men can be hired considerable lower now than they can seven or eight weeks hence — I am Sir your most obedient and very humble servant David Ames [Col^o S Hodgdon]