Springfield February 4^th 1799 Sir I have received your favour of Jan^t 25^th and agreeable to your desire have called on M^r Ames for documents to inable me to comply with your instructions. It appears from M^r Ames's State-ment that there was expended in the year 1795 $ 12875 . 44                                                                 1796 ... 11448 . 63                                                                 1797 . 10350 . 43                                                                 1798 . 30573 . 90                                                      Total Dollars 65257 " That there was Manufactured in 1795 245 Muskets 1                                           " 1796 835 "                                           " 1797 1028 d^o                                              1798 1044 d^o                                     Total 3152 Muskets Manufactured That there was cleaned and such as required, repaired by new Stocks, Bayonets, Ramrods, Springs & Screw pins, &c In 1795 ... 6999 French Muskets which he Estimates at $1500   " 1796 6999 D^o " " 650   1797 .. 8499 D^o " " 700   1798 9000 D^o Repairing Artillery Carriages, making worms &c he estimates at 700                                                                           300 86 Carbine barrels turned into the store at 86                                                                     3936 Expended for the necessary Buildings & Machinery from the commencement of the works. 12500 Tools utensils & raw stock on hand Dec^r 31. Estimate at 6094 610 Locks compleatly finished 800 Musket barrels fit for boring Forged Mountings equal to 800 sets   " Ramrods 280 } which he Estimates at 3552 Cost of Mill right for Water shop 343                                                                     $ 26,235                                                                            4 This sum of twenty six thousand two hundred thirty $ 26,235                                                                                   4 five Dollars is included in the amount of the whole Expenditures, but allowing the Buildings &c as stock on hand, and admiting the other charges, which makes up this sum, it may be proper to subtract it from the whole amount of Expenditures, which produced divided by the whole number of Arms made, will prove each Gun to cost $12 . 33 cents. I am not able to procure acclements to ascertain the yearly expence of the Ration &c for the Workmen — & some other expences of a trifling nature, may likewise be omitted, exclusive of which, I believe the forgoing statement to be partly correct. An establishment of this kind in its early stages must, necessarily be subjected to many embarrasments — these arose from the impossibility of obtaining experienced Workmen, and the want of Machinery and proper accomodations, and many other causes which will readily occur to you — These difficulties are now surmounted in a great measure & the expence will in future be much diminished — The machinery at the Water Shops is nearly compleated, which will facilitate the business for boring the barrels, by which half the labour in that article will be saved — Other improvements are also made in various parts of the Works. The Workmen are now become better acquainted with the business, and are furnished with good accomodations, and the tools necessary in the business are also made & provided, a large quantity of Tools, have been made that has employed a great deal of the time of the best Workmen. — The workmen might be hired for nearly a third less than in the preceding years, were it not for the private Contracts made by the Government with Individuals — These individuals are now offering them larger wages, than are given them here — This demand for workmen will in a short time cease, and the wages of the Men of course will be diminished — There has been no time heretofore, when a fair experiment could be had, of the utility or propriety of the Establishment — The necessary Buildings for shops, for lodging the labourers, & for Machinery are now at very considerable expence nearly compleated, & in good repair, & proper regulations established, so that the business may be carried on to much greater advantage than heretofore — and I apprehend the Cost of each Musket, in future made, will not exceed 12 dollars — M^r Ames is of opinion it will not exceed eleven — The situation of the Works, you are probably well acquainted with — all articles necessary for the Factory which come from abroad, are brought by Water within half a mile distance from the Works — The Water Shop where the plates for the barrels are made, the barrels partly polished & wholly bored and all the heavy work done, are placed on an excellent stream that never fails — Provisions may be here furnished for the Workmen as cheap as at any place in New England — There are large tracts of Woodland near the works, so that pine coal is delivered here for $ 3.33 to a hundred bushels — & hard coal for $4.33 — The situation of the Works is such that they may be increased to any extent the Government should think proper — & I believe the expence of making the Musket will be diminished in proportion as the Works are extended, where the same Superintendency only will be required — and in that case each Workman would be confined to one particular Branch of the business, which would greatly facilitate the whole. — It ought to be observed that in the outset of the business, very few persons could be procured that were acquainted with making Arms — By means of being employed in these Works, many persons have become [undecipherable] in the business, and many apprentices have been taught, of which last, there are now eleven in the Works. For many Months also after the business was first commenced, all the labour was done by hand, which must greatly enhanced the expence — this will account for the small number of Arms Manufactured in the first year, in comparison with the preceding years — and the expences of those years — M^r Ames is confident that in three Months, when the works will be compleated — he shall be able to turn in 300 Muskets p^r month — Considerable expence would be saved if the foreign Articles necessary in the Works, were purchased in larger quantities — as if it is in contemplation to make the Establishment a permanent business, if they should be imported by the Agents of the Government, — From your questions, I suppose there is an enquiry as to the expediency of continuing the Establishment — this could be ascertained by an inspection made by some judicious by some Judicious [underline: disinterested] man, much better than any Statement that can be made of the situation of the Works, nor can any fair deductions be drawn from what is past. — As the business is under your Superintendanacy, and as you are acquainted with past difficulties and the manner in which the business has been conducted, it would be very agreeable to the persons who have the care of the Establishment here — that you should inspect the Works and be satisfied whether any unnecessary expence has been incured, & whether the business, is managed for the advantage of the Public. — Your Judgment would satisfy the apprehensions of those, who are now dissatisfied. — The Iron, Steel, & Gunstocks, sent to this post from Philadelphia has been Estimated in the foregoing statement of expenditures. In answering your four Questions I have endeavoured to be as explicit as possible — It would afford me pleasure to know how they comport with the statement you have made — I am Sir Your obedient servant Joseph Williams [Received from Secy War Nov. 2[?], [year] I.O. 401810] Samuel Hodgdon Esq^r