War department March 25^th 1799 Sir I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letters of the 4^th and 17 February latt. all of which came to hand on the 20. instant. In my letter to you of the 11^th ultimo I mentioned my extreme regret at not being able to have forwarded as early as I would have wished the Clothing for your troops; which was owing partly to the failure of the Contractor in furnishing the necessary quantities and partly to the very early stoppage of the navigation of the River Delaware. I trust they have long before this have been received, as M^r. Hoagdon informs they were shipped on the 7 February on board the Schooner Sally Sylvanus Church, Master, and consigned to John Haberham Esq^r. have appointed a M^r. Edward Wright of Maryland who has been sometime employed as a Paymaster & in Tennessee to succeed M^r. Rice as factor, I expect he will be [undecipherable] [undecipherable] the [undecipherable]. The enclosed instructions you will be pleased to deliver him. I am Sir Your obed^t Servant [James McHenry] L^t Col^o Henry Gaither