[Docket: Sec of War / 15 April 1799] War department 15 April 1799. Sir I have received your favour of the 13 instant. The arrangement of sending the recruiting money, in the first instance to the Regimental Paymasters, instead of through an Agent to them, avoids a Commission of One per Cent generally to the Agent for paying the money to the Paymaster, and doubling the Accounts for the same object in the Accountants Books. Hence it is desirable; wherever it can be done without occasioning injurious delays, that the Paymaster should receive the money directly from this department. With respect to the transportation of Cloathing it has been suggested that the Cloathing for Pennsylvania, Jersey, and Delaware by being sent in parcels from this place to their respective districts would save double transportation, and therefore that altho it would all be charged in the first instance to the Paymaster it was necessary it should be divided into parcels here and sent to the respective Officers from hence, who were to apply it and who would give the Paymaster the necessary receipts for the same. I expected of course that the New Jersey Paymaster would have been charged with the requisite information. I have not time to examine my letters on this subject, but I think they will not shew that I looked for this information unless in cases similar to the one before us. The proportion of Cloathing for recruiting within the State of New York will be sent to Colonel Ebenezer Stevens of New York; for the State of Connecticut, [+] to Mefsrs Phelps and Sanford, New Haven; for the State of New Hampshire, to Jacob Sheaff of Portsmouth; for the State of Massachusetts, to Jonathan Jackson Supervisor at Boston. With respect to Virginia and Mary land I think it would be adviseable that the districts, and Officers to be respectively attached [13 +] to them, should be communicated to this Office that if expence can be avoided in their transportation without any interference with System it may be done. It is my wish, as I perceive it to be yours, to avoid being incumbered with details or to require of you details which can be properly made by others. Have you considered the idea of making an experiment of inlisting at the districts without Cloathing and transferring the Recruits in parcels as inlisted to the General rendezvous? Will not this mode save much transportation? I transmitted a letter from Captain Miller dated the 4. of February will you be pleased to consider his request? By a letter from Lieutenant Leonard, dated the 6 instant, it would appear that he had not then moved— I am Sir with great Respect Your obedient Servant James McHenry Major General Hamilton