[1799 Apr 4] War Department 11^th April 1799 Sir I have been honored with your Letter of the 2^d Ins^t. Inclosed is a copy of my letter to M^r J. Huntington of New London, [strikethrough: app-ing] to the purpose of entering into contracts, to supply rations &c for the troops to be raised in Connecticut. Similar Letters have been sent to J. Jackson Supervisor^at Boston for Massachusetts, to Jacob Sheaff at Portsmouth, for New Hampshire, and one inclosed to M^r Elijah Paine who is requested to direct it to a proper person to form contracts for Vermont; also to M^r John Stockton of Wilmington for Delaware; and to Colonel Carrington for Virginia; [strikethrough: to] to J. M^cRea of Wilmington for North Carolina. For the remaining States, contracts have been formed. The Contractors are as follows: For New York ......... Will^m Colfax For Pennsylvania Mich^l Gunkle & Henry Schriver For Maryland James [undecipherable] per For South Carolina D[undecipherable]dge Croker For Georgia Solomon Ellis For Tenifee and Kentucky James O'Hara. If I comprehend your idea relative to the cloathing — whatever quantity is wanted for a Regiment, or Regimental [strikethrough: circle] circle; is ought to be deposited with the proper Officer of the Regimental Staff; which officer, you consider, should be the pay-master, to be distributed by him among the companies. It Strikes me that during the recruiting service and before the Companies are brought to some one point this mode you you propose might be attended with not only an increase of expence but also of delay. The Regiment for example which Lieutenant Colonel Ogdon is to command has ten recruiting rendezvouses, as follow Hackinsa[ck] Elizabeth Town, New Brunswick, Trenton, Burlington and Woodbury, in the Jersey, and three others in Pennsylvania and Delaware. Should the whole of the cloathing for a Regiment be sent to any one place, in New Jersey for subsequent distribution by the Pay master [strikethrough: must] the requisite share of them must be brought back from thence to supply the places of rendezvous in Pennsylvania and Delaware. To prevent this expence you will perhaps think it proper that the pay-master of each Regiment charged with this duty shall make requisitions for the cloathing required for his Regiment or circle, and point out the parcels destined for each company or rendezvous to be transported by the quarter Master General if drawn from Philadelphia or agent of the war Department as the case may be. The pay-master to take receipts from the company officers for the quantity sent to them respectively. It is not perceived that this mode will break in upon the accountability of the pay master who will be charged with the cloathing &c. on the books of the Superintendent. I have not been furnished with the names of any of the Regimental pay-masters. You will recollect that [strikethrough: these] these officers are to give bond in the sum of 5000 Dollars with one or more sufficient sureties for the faithful discharge of their offices respectively. With great Respect I have the Honor to be Sir [undecipherable] [undecipherable] and [undecipherable] Major General Alexander Hamilton