[Aud 19. 1799 from Dayton] Elizabeth Town Aug 19^th 1799 3 Dear Sir, Your favor of the 17^th. was received this morning, and I thank you in behalf of my brother for the candour with which you State certain considerations relative to the wintering of the troops, which might be presumed to have influenced his proposals in the first instance; & ultimately, to affect the value of his contract. He authorises me to say thatt it was under the impression which you suggest, of there being quartered, at least one, if not two or three Reg^ts. in this State for the winter, that he fixed upon terms as low as they were offered to you, but that, since they have been presented & accepted as the most favorable, he has no disposition to retract or alter them. He indulges the hope however that, in consideration of the probability of the unexpected removal of the Regiment from the State for some months, & of his having offered to furnish their supplies so much lower than they are now furnished, you would [strikethrough: direct] his proposals to be accepted, & a contract to be immediately entered into with him for supplying the rations wanted, immediately after the expiration of the month's notice, required to be given. There will be delay (in case of advertising) probably beyond the four weeks, & there is little probability of any better offer being made; & it may be added that the present contractor can have no right to complain, for it was granted to him without any previous public notice, & the public certainly will not, when the saving is considered which will be produced by the annulling of the old & the establishing of a new contract. As to the wintering of the three Reg^ts. in Carlisle, I am persuaded that your own reflections upon the Subject, & particularly the many disadvantages attending such a position, joined to a report of the Survey you have ordered of the public buildings will induce you to abandon all idea of that plan, & to prefer to it that first contemplated of concentering the three in New Jersey, or of allowing each to quarter in its own ^State until the Spring. I am Dear Sir with sincere esteem & respect Y^r Obed^t Ser^t Jona: Dayton Colo. M^cHenry.