[411 Pg 29.] New York April 15, 1799 Sir, [strikethrough: Sir] I have yesterday & to day the morning been honoured with your several favours, three [strikethrough: three] of the 11^th and [strikethrough: two] of the 12^th instant. The injunction respecting the Indian boundary line will be carefully & promptly attended to — Speedy attention will also be paid to the affair of proclaiming Martial law at Detroit. At present I am not aware how the authority for it is found. But this as well as its expediency will be examined. It did not appear to me that the measure of Sending forward immediately monies and cloathing to the Several places could be attended with the inconvenience you mention — Since it is exactly what has been done with regard to New York and what [strikethrough: would] would naturally be done in the case of every distant [strikethrough: state], with the difference only, of the anticipation of the names of the Pay Masters. I presumed [strikethrough: that] these articles [strikethrough: would] always be Sent to Some Agents of the Department to [strikethrough: be] delivered over to the Pay Masters [strikethrough: taking] and take their receipts, and that the [strikethrough: only] alternative would be to instruct [strikethrough: the] those agents to deliver them to certain Pay Masters by name or to Such persons as the respective Colonels of Regiments Should designate to them as the Pay Masters — It is true that none of my former communications indicates the names of the particular Officers [strikethrough: designated] assigned to the Several Subdivisions. This was a detail which I considered as properly referred to the Commandants of the Regiments, leaving it with them to instruct their respective Pay Masters and with these to concert with the agents of the War Department the distribution in detail. If matters so minute as these are to make the [undecipherable] of a previous communication through the Commandant General to the Secretary of War the obstacles to the execution of the Service will be endless. In making this observation I have nothing in view but [strikethrough: than] to present to consideration this important rule, that the efficient execution of any extensive branch [strikethrough: and] of military Service can only be [strikethrough: attained] [strikethrough: attained] by enforcing the principles [strikethrough: actors] [strikethrough: adhered] to general arrangements, & by the employing competent organs and leaving to them the more minute details. I write however this day to the Commandants of the Regiments of Pennsylvania & New [strikethrough: York] Jersey to [strikethrough: communicate] supply the deficient information. With very great respec- [undecipherable] the honor to be &c. Y. [undecipherable] [Endorsed, rotated:] Sec of War April 13 1799 The Secy of War