Philadelphia. 29^th April, 1799. Sir I have received your note of this date. The five hundred musket Stocks shall be delivered to Mr. Robert McCormick. We have now in Store thirteen thousand one hundred and thirty three Musket Stocks; the precise number fit to work up this moment, it is under circumstances impossible to know, but I have reason to believe it is much larger than stated by Mr. McCormick. On the 10^th of January Mr. Henry Drinty, the Contractor for Stocks, informed me he have then logs on hand well seasoned sufficient to cut from twenty five hundreds to three thousand Stocks; and that by pursuing a mode he mentioned to have taken with those he contracted, to supply the whole would be seasoned fit for working in six months. Since the 10^th of January, the date of my letter to which you refer, there has been delivered from the public Store in this City, three thousand one hundred and sixty two Gun Stocks, two thousands of them on your order, viz; One thousand to complete the order in favour of Mr. Whitney, and the other in favour of Mr. Gilbert, the remainder the Gun Smiths in this City. No Stocks have been since delivered to either of the national Armories. That at Harper's Ferry is to be supplied with Stocks by contracts now in operation in its neighbourhood, of course none will be sent from hence. Springfield alone will depend on our Magazine for a supply, but it is probable months may elapse before that post will stand in need of a further supply. What reason then is there to fear our not having able to supply all demands? I can see none. I trust the foregoing will shew that the statement given in my letter of the 10^th Jany. last is correct; the part alluded to as not comporting with the