Philadelphia 20^th October 1798.— Sir This Morning I received your Letter of the 17^th Inst— covering the Papers relative to the Powder purchased by M^r De Jassure in Charleston — I shall immediately make such entries in my Books as the nature of the transaction requires — with respect and esteem I am Sir your most Obed^t Servant— Samuel Hodgdon John Steele Esquire Philadelphia 22^d October 1798. Sir, I have received your letter of the 13^th instant — Its contents I confess surprised me much — Until I received it I thought my exertions for the Public under complicated difficulties & embarrassments would entitle me to the commendation of every member of its administration — But to the letter — you begin by observing that you called at my Office previous to your leaving the City and was informed that Charleville Muskets suitable for Patterns could be found at Boston, Charleston and Savannah: leaving out Boston where we have no deposits of Military Stores of any kind and the Statement may be accurate but you have forgot the reason then given for my assertion. I will repeat it, I informed you that the Troops were uniformly furnished with Muskets of that kind of course where there were Troops they would be found — But I might have gone farther as the annexed paper N° 1 plainly Shews — The next paragraph recites what passed between me and the Secretary of War on the Subject of Pattern's Muskets and is perfectly correct, you will there perceive that none of those places mentioned above are referred to, and for the reason hinted because we had no deposits at any of them — At Springfield they were found and forwarded as appears by the subjoined Paper N° 2 — In this City, they were also found new as imported, yet my zeal to knew that they were perfect as well as new has caused a rebuke because time I may have been lost in forwarding them — In explaining the Matter as it relates to West Point it is proper to note that the kinds of Muskets do not appear in any returns received farther than in the general description of new or good Muskets and damaged repairable and irreparable — In this way I might safely conclude, new Charleville Muskets could be found there, as I perfectly recollect that many of that kind were deposited there, but Sir as there are a number of Gun Smiths employed there; could not Charleville Muskets that had been in use be Selected and made fit for Patterns? would the form or any of the [underline: dimensions] have been altered in such a case? they certainly would not, and therefore I conceive my conclusions were rational. On the transmission of the Muskets to Rhode Island and Baltimore shall only further observe, that on an accurate inspection of the new Charleville Muskets I thought some addition might be necessary to shut the door close against imposition and I accordingly called on M^r Nicholson to have them performed, without a moments delay, he put them in hand accordingly and his reason for the detention appears in Paper N° 3, It strikes me that this Statement will not justify an opinion that there are no Muskets in Store proper for Patterns without previous repairs, A person with less experience and information of the nature of Contracts would have delivered them as they were, and perhaps without incurring Censure; I did not choose to run that risk, but did what I thought best and I trust the event will justify the measure; on the Subject of the Musket Stocks which is the next cause of complaint I beg leave to refer you to my letter to M^r Jones in answer to his of the 9^th August which as far as I recollect was the first I had heard Officially on the subject — In that I mentioned the number of Stocks on hand, and added that the number requested — Nay! Four thousand could be Supplied, and observed I concluded a large number were contracted for, which would be seasoned before what we had on hand could be used — I had reason for this conclusion which in suitable time shall appear — was not this Sir [underline: data] to go upon in making Subsequent Contracts? I certainly meant it as such — When I informed you and M^r Francis that any number of Stocks wanted by the Manufacturers might be had, I must have been understood to mean by Contracts then to be made in addition to the number in Store which were known to us all — Had I then been authorized I have no doubt I could have engaged ten thousand Stocks deliverable by this time which would have been fit for immediate use; the orders you mention in favour of Whitney and M'Cormick were duly received and the Stocks were held Subject to those orders on the first application from either or both — M^r M'Cormick has received about Six hundred which is all he has applied for, but from Whitney I have never heard any thing on the subject; of course I could not know that either were ready to receive them — But Sir, a question arises here, did those dormant Orders suspend any Subsequent ones that might be received from the Secretary of War? if they did I confess I have been in an error; for I concluded by the aid of the Contracts which I Supposed where then made, all demands might be Supplied, and in this opinion I still remain, for it is well known that the Stocking is the last act in making a Musket — I have Sir, agreeably to your request attentively considered the narrative you recommend to my perusal and am utterly at a loss to find out where or how I am implicated — When I reported early in August that we had about ten thousand Stocks in Store I certainly was able to deliver seven thousand which was all you then called for — And with the three thousand that remained, and others that I expected would be constantly coming in, I concluded very justly that we should be able to answer all subsequent Drafts — But if no contracts were made nor other means fallen on, to enlarge the number then in Store; how in the name of wonder could it be expected that twenty thousand were ready for transportation to Hartford; at the time you wrote to me you must have reckoned on information I did not possess — It is true no information was given that the Seven thousand Stocks called for could not be supplied, for such information until my late letter would have been erronious, for until drawn out as I then stated they could be furnished and would have been delivered on the applications of persons in whose favour the orders were drawn — I hope Sir, this Statement will convince you that no blame rests with me; Had the Stocks expected been received, they might have been forwarded to the full amount of your requisitions, and all others — The enclosed Paper N° 4 shews the receipts and deliveries of Stocks since the commencement of the present year, and as M^r M'Cormick's number is but partially supplied, though the whole is deducted in the statement lately made to you which produced your letter; the balance may be disposed of to the most pressing calls, for he at present is doing little, his hands having mostly left him; and to these may be added two thousand which I am informed now lies in the Purveyors Store — I am aware Sir that under the direction of the Secretary of War I am to superintend the whole business of the Stores of the United States, and I am sure that I never gave any information with intention to mislead or perplex, and I am sorry if any thing of the kind has happened through misconception or mistake — I make no pretence to great abilities, but in point of zeal, industry and integrity I yield to none — In this confidence I shall not shrink from any mode of investigation that may be instituted to find out who is to blame, if in truth any one is — The Pattern Muskets have been forwarded, those for Rhode Island by the way of Bordenton and New York, to the first of which places I sent a person in charge of them, to know that they were forwarded, and I wrote by Post to M^r Smith to whom they were addressed in New York to receive and forward them by the first conveyance that would insure them a safe and speedy arrival to their destination. Those to Bennington were forwarded from Springfield by M^r Williams as you will perceive by the annexed extract of his letter. The others for Baltimore went in the land Stage — The Pattern Gun is delivered M^r M'Cormick and the Counterpart is in the Public Store sealed as directed; I am truly sorry that you should find occasion to write to me a letter so full of complaints and threatnings, but I hope Sir, that a candid perusal of the foregoing will place me on my former standing in your estimation — I have heretofore prided myself in a belief that I possessed your confidence and esteem and it has been my study to deserve it — To account for the seeming want of minuteness in me I ought to inform you the Storekeepers Accounts are received only quarterly, and that in the present instance two quarters are due from the Store Keeper in this City, and from many others for a much longer time — when they are received with the proper Vouchers they are entered as fast as circumstances admit and to that period the utmost accuracy may be expected, but for the intermediate time, I am of course unable to give any correct Statement of the Stores — Having offered thus much by way of vindication, have only to add that by enquiry made I find in the ordinary course of things we shall receive a thousand Stocks every four Weeks, and that if necessary and the means are furnished, twice that number may be obtained, and that I will make every exertion in my power to carry your contracts into full and complete effect. My defence might be more copious & embrace a number of Ideas that present themselves to my mind but I fear I shall tire your patience and trespass on your time, I therefore wave them, perhaps I may have another opportunity; Shall only add by way of consolation, that [contractors] have no doubt but Stocks may yet be supplied to all the, as soon as wanted — I am Sir, Your most Obedient Servant Samuel Hodgdon Oliver Wolcott Esq^r. Secretary of the Treasury