[Decem. 26. 1798.] [The Secretary of War] [Kenan] Sir Decem 26. 1798. I have the honor to reply to your Letter of the 22^d instant & to inform you that the sum of £45.686, forty five thousand six hundred & eighty six pounds Sterling has been remitted with directions to have the same applied in the following manner For the purchase of Musquets with Bayonets compleat fitted for the Infantry service £35.686 For Iron Cannon for the Naval service — 6.000— For Iron Cannon for the Land service — 4,000— It may be expected that the above mentioned remittances will [strikethrough: command] purchase from three to four hundred pieces of Cannon & from Fifteen to Twenty thousand Musquets. Contracts have been formed, for manufacturing about Thirty five thousand Musquets in the United States. About 116.000 lbs of [strikethrough: purchased] powder were purchased at New York & 832.000 pounds at Charleston [strikethrough: in] during the last Summer. A Contract has been also formed for the importation of Five hundred Tons of Salt Petre. Considerable advances have been made to the purveyors for the purchase of arms & Military Stores, other purchases have moreover been [strikethrough: over] & pursued made by the Agents of the War & Navy Departments [strikethrough: for and] since the passage of the Act of 16^th of July 1798 transferring the duty of procuring supplies from the Troops. — I have the honor [undecipherable: signature] The h^ble Weri [undecipherable]