Philadelphia 13^th July 1799 Sir, Agreeably to your letter of the 9^th ulto (which informed me of your instructing the Quarter Master General to settle all accounts arising in the Ordnance department for salaries of persons charged with the keeping of Military Stores & for Armourers employed at Pittsburg or any other post not being Soldiers should be settled and paid by [underline: him] as heretofore) I applied to the D. M. Gen for payment of the Account of the Armourer employed at this post Who in answer said that the Account was informal inasmuch as a former arrangement had [underline: pointed out] that Armourers should be employed under the direction of the Commanding Officer of Artillery or where there is no Artillery Officer the Commanding Officer of the Post; Which has not been the case hitherto with the Armourer at Pittsburg who has always been under my direction; and the Accounts admitted in the D. M. Dept except — for Six months past of last Year & what has elapsed of this — And Notwithstanding the Armourer has been under my direction as usefully employed as under the direction of the Commandant of the post who not being permanent, but subject to removal by order of the General or Colonel, might occasion inconvenience. And it has heretofore happened that the Officer who commanded at this post during several months ranked no higher than Serjeant — however it will be very agreeable to me to receive your Orders to deliver into the Commanding Officers charge, the Armourer together with all the Arms & Ordnance Stores, which you will by (by the return for this post) observe are so great as to require at least one Armourer employed in cleaning and making the necessary Repairs — On the 9^th instant the Pay Master Gen^l set off for Philad.^a I am Sir, Your obed Servant Isaac Craig Hon^ble James M^cHenry Sec^ry of War