With respect to the Sloop, Detroit, should you find upon a represen-tation from Brigadier General Wilkinson that she will be required and necessary for the transportation of Troops, or Public Stores, and upon in-spection of her, or from any report in your possession, that certain repairs are indispensible to fit her for such service, you will cause the articles wanted, to be purchased, and the repairs to be made. If articles are to be purchased in this Town for your Department, and sent hence, you will give orders to that effect to your Agent here; if you have one: M^r Samuel Hodgdon has been Agent heretofore for the Quarter Master General. If he is to act for you and pay your Bills, it is proper that he should be authorised by you. I enclose you the Act of Congress passed the (3^d) instant continuing the Quarter Master General. The Contract which is about to take place for the years 1797 and 1798, will stipulate, that proper [undecipherable: places] shall be provided at the several posts, at the expence of the United States, for the safe keeping of the Provisions, to be deposited at them respectively. You will therefore turn your immediate attention to this subject, and have such repairs made to the Store houses, in the Posts on the Lakes and at such other Posts as shall be pointed out to you, by Brigadier General Wilkinson. Sir September 8. 1798. I have received your letters of the 22 and 31 August ult^o. M^r Hodgdon has been informed that a Vessel for the Western States would be built this winter at Detroit, and instructed to conform to your directions relative to the articles to be purchased for her equipment. Orders have also been given to prepare and forward the Cloathing for the Troops in the Northwestern Posts, as soon as possible. It will be divided into distinct packages conformable to the numbers composing the respective Garrisons. Sir December 8. 1797. The Secretary of the Treasury wrote to me, on the 8. Decem^r instant, assigning the strongest reasons why your Power of Attorney to Samuel Hodgdon Esq^r will not answer the purposes intended. The Power is stated as not retrospective, and informal. I am sure you will see the absolute necessity of immediately supplying the defects of this power, by one that is correctly, formal, retrospective and sufficiently extensive to embrace every object past and future intended by it; and this I urgently request you will do. Sir December 7. 1798. The Spaniards having evacuated the Posts on the Mississippi, added to other circumstances renders it unnecessary to send the Galley on the Stocks for the present from Pittsburg. You will however compleat her, and keep her in a situation not to receive injury, and in a state to descend