[John Harris / 7 Decem^r 1790] [Samuel Hodgdon Esq^r.] [seal] Philadelphia 7. December 1790. I have received the Letter from the Secretary of the Treasury to you on the subject of Muskets for Patterns & Musket Stocks for manufacturing Arms. — The Secretary of Treasury by [strikethrough: virtue of an] Order from the Secretary of War — & countersigned by you, has a right to draw for any number of Charleville Pattern Muskets he may think necessary for Patterns — to be used as guides by the several Contractors. — By the purport of the Secretary of Treasurys Letter to you — it would seem that he had obtained a particular order respecting the Stocks — No such order has been given me and agreeably to my Instructions, an Order from the Sec^ty of War. countersigned by you, is absolutely necessary to authorize the delivery of Stocks, or any thing else, from the Military Stores to any person whomsoever; and without such an Order. I am deviating from the Letter of my Instructions in making the delivery to the Sec^ty of Treasury or any other person — I therefore want an Order. tantamount to that which authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to draw for Muskets to be used as patterns, for the delivery of Two thousand Musket Stocks, for transportation to the Factory establishing at Shenandoah, which has not been acted on. — I only wish to have the business clearly understood. — I am Sir, respectfully, Your most Obed^t Servant. J^no Harris Samuel Hodgdon Esq^r.