[Letter from Secretary of War dated April 10. 1799.] War Department, April 10^th 1799. Sir, Major General Hamilton who has been charged with the Recruiting Service, contemplates to put into immediate activity, the measures he has projected for that purpose. I have therefore to request, you will take the most effectual and prompt methods to obtain, upon the best terms, a General Contract, or if that shall be impracticable, Contracts for specified Districts in the State of Delaware, but so as to ensure supplies, at all and every place or places, where troops are or may be stationed, marched or recruited in the said State, for and during the residue of the Year 1799. It will be proper to enumerate in the Contract or Contracts the following places of Rendezvous, viz: at Wilmington, Christiana and Dover. By an Act passed the 6.^th of March last, a copy of which I enclose, the Ration to be supplied is to consist of the following Articles, viz: Eighteen Ounces of Bread or Flour, or when neither can be obtained, if one quart of Rice, or one and one half pound of sifted or bolted Indian Meal, one pound and a quarter of fresh Beef, or one pound of salted Beef, or three quarters of a pound of salted Pork, and when fresh Meal is issued, Salt, at the rate of two quarts for every hundred Rations, Soap at the rate of four pounds, and Candles at the rate of a pound and one half for every hundred Rations. The Contract must also extend to the supply of Rum, Whiskey or other ardent Spirits, at the rate of half a gill per Ration, and Vinegar at the rate of two quarts for every hundred Rations, when called, agreeably to the aforesaid Act; and to supplies of fuel and Straw. The Contract should stipulate the prices of the several component parts of a Ration, as well as those of the Substitutes or alternatives for each thing. It is expected that Contractors will be governed in the price of the Ration by the quantity to be daily issued at any given post or place. That is, they will require a higher price where not more than fifty Rations are issued daily, than where one hundred, two hundred, or any greater quantity is issued daily. I advise therefore that you establish in the Contract or Contracts, the price for Rations at any post or place not exceeding fifty daily — at any post or place not exceeding from fifty to two hundred daily — at any post or place not exceeding from two hundred to four hundred daily — and at any post or place exceeding four hundred daily. You will stipulate that the Contractor or Contractors are to answer all requisitions made for Rations by General Hamilton or Officers acting under his authority. You will be pleased to transmit to General Hamilton as soon as possible, copies of the Contract or Contracts for his information and Government and to me the originals. I Shall concur in a reasonable compensation for your time or any expences you may incur in executing this business. P. S. You may transmit the copies of the Contract or Contracts for General Hamilton to this Office, which will be forwarded to him. I am Sir, Your obed^t Servant James McHenry M^r Latimer has mentioned the following persons as most suitable to furnish Supplies in Delaware, viz, Joseph Jones, of Christiana Bridge } New Castle County James Caldwell, of New Castle Andrew Barretts, of Dover — Kent County Henry Niel, of Lewiston — — Sussex County [address:] John Stockton Esq^r Wilmington Delaware.