*Articles of Agreement,* made on the first ——— day of October——— Anno Domini, [strikethrough: one thousand eight hundred] 1799 ——— between [strikethrough: SAMUEL DEXTER,] James Mc Henry Secretary for the Department of War of the United States of America, of the one part, and William Colfax & Robert Colfax of Pompton in the State of New Jersey and Alexander Richards of the [State] of New York ——— of the other part. James Mc Henry T HIS AGREEMENT WITNESSETH, That the said [strikethrough: Samuel Dexter,] for and on behalf of the United States of America, and the said W. Colfax R. Colfax & A. Richards for themselves their heirs, executors and administrators, have mutually covenanted and agreed, and by these presents do mutually covenant and agree to and with each other, as follows, viz. *First.* That the said W. Colfax R. Colfax & A. Richards their ——— executors or administrators, shall [apply,] and issue all the rations, to consist of the articles hereinafter specified, that shall be required of [them] for the use of the United States, at all, and every place or places, where troops are or may be stationed, marched or recruited within the limits of the State of Massachusetts & Rhode Island thirty days notice being given, of the post or place, where rations may be wanted, or the number of troops to be furnished on their march, from the first day of January which will be in the year One thousand eight hundred until the thirty first day of December then next ensuing both days inclusive ——— at the following prices, that is to say, at any place where rations shall be issued within the State of Massachusetts Eleven Cents, and at any place where rations shall be issued within the State of Rhode Island Thirteen cents seven mills and an half [undecipherable] That where the price of the Ration shall be Eleven Cents that of each of the component parts shall be as follows. Bread or flour ——— Five Cents ——— Four Cent & for ——— One Ce. Small parts ——— One Cent That where the price of the Ration shall be thirteen Cents seven mills and an half that of each of the Component parts shall be as follows. Bread or flour ——— Six Cents Meat ——— Five Cents five mills Liquor ——— One Cent Small parts ——— One Cent Two Mills and an half *Second.* That the ration to be furnished and delivered by virtue of this contract, shall consist of the following articles, viz. Eighteen ounces of bread or flour, or when neither can be obtained, of one quart of rice, or one and an half pound of sifted or boiled Indian meal, one pound and a quarter of fresh beef, or one pound of salted beef, or three quarters of a pound of falted Pork, and when fresh meat is issued, salt at the rate of two quarts for every hundred rations, soap at the rate of four pounds, and candles at the rate of a pound and an half for every hundred rations; and whenever the commander in chief of the army, or the commanding officer of any separate detachment, or garrison thereof shall require, half a gill of rum or whiskey, or other ardent spirits; and whensoever supplies thereof shall be on hand, vinegar at the rate of two quarts for every hundred rations. It is understood and agreed, that when the proper officer shall make no requisition for ardent spirits, there shall be no issue of the same, and a reduction in the price of every ration, of which ardent spirits make no component part, be made conformably to a scale hereinbefore inserted. It is understood, that it shall be in the option of the general, or officer commanding an army or a great military district, in all cases not otherwise provided for by this contract, to direct when, and how often fresh or falted meat shall be issued by general orders, to be promulged a reasonable time before the issue is to commence; that in all cases where falted provisions are issued, the article of salt shall not be required; that the contractor shall always issue flour two days in every week, and the option of bread or flour for the remainder of the week be with the contractor. *Third.* That supplies shall be furnished by the said W. Colfax R. Colfax & A. Richards at the fortified places and military posts, that are or may be established in the State aforesaid upon the requisition of the commandant of the army, in such quantities as shall not exceed what is sufficient for the troops to be there stationed, for the space of three months in advance, in good and wholesome provisions, consisting of due proportions of all the articles forming the ration. It is understood that if the contractor shall be required to deposit provisions at one place or post and shall afterwards be required to remove them to be delivered at another place or post, the expences of transportation to such other place or post, shall be borne by the United States. *Fourth.* That no whiskey, or ardent spirits, but such as the excise has been paid upon, shall be purchased by the said W. Colfax R. Colfax & A. Richards for the purposes stipulated in this contract. *Fifth.* That whenever and as often as the provisions stipulated to be furnished under this contract, shall, in the opinion of the commanding officer of the post or place, where they are offered to be issued, be unsound, or unfit for use; a survey shall be held thereon, by two disinterested persons, one to be chosen by the commanding officer, and the other by the said W. Colfax R. Colfax & A. Richards or their ——— agent, and in case of disagreement, a third person to be chosen by mutual consent, who shall have power to condemn such part of the provisions as to them may appear unfit for use. But if the said W. Colfax R. Colfax & A. Richards or their ——— agent, shall fail, or neglect, to appoint a person to inspect the said provisions, after reasonable notice in writing, it shall be permitted to the said commanding officer to appoint such persons as he may think proper, to inspect the provisions, under oath, with power to condemn as aforesaid. *Sixth.* That the commanding general, or person appointed by him, at each post or place, in case of absolute failure, or deficiency, in the quantity of provisions contracted to be delivered and issued, shall have power to supply the deficiency by purchase, at the risque and on account of the said W. Colfax R. Colfax & A. Richards. *Seventh.* That whenever any articles constituting the whole, or any part of the ration, shall be withheld from the officers and soldiers, due bills shall be given therefor, payable within two months by delivery of the articles withheld. If, at the expiration of the said two months, the contractor or their ——— agent, shall not deliver the articles expressed in the said due bills, within ten days after demand being made therefor, payment for the articles so withheld shall be made in money, by the contractor their ——— agent, at the contract price. *Eighth.* That all losses sustained by the depredations of an enemy, or by means of the troops of the United States, in articles intended to compose rations, to be issued under this contract, being the property of the contractor, as well as its other property necessarily used in transporting the same, shall be paid for at the contract price of the rations, or the component parts, and at an appraised value of the other articles, on the deposition of one or more creditable characters, and the certificate of a commissioned officer, when the same can be obtained, ascertaining the circumstances of the loss, and the amount of the articles for which compensation is claimed. *Ninth.* That escorts and guards for the safety of the provisions, and for the protecting of the cattle against an enemy, shall be furnished, whenever, in the opinion of the commanding officer of the army, or of any post, to whom application may be made, the same can be done without prejudice to the service, and that the said W. Colfax R. Colfax and A. Richards ——— shall not be answerable for any deficiency of supplies, at any of the said posts or places, if it shall appear, upon satisfactory proof, that such deficiency was occasioned by the want of proper escorts and guards. *Tenth.* That at all stationary posts, proper store-houses shall be provided on behalf of the public, for the reception and safe-keeping of the provisions deposited from time to time, at such posts respectively; and the contractor shall suffer no loss for want of such stores. *Eleventh.* That the said W. Colfax R. Colfax and A. Richards, their ——— executors, or administrators, shall render ——— their accounts to the Accountant of the Department of War, for settlement, at least once in every three months, agreeably to such form as by the Comptroller of the Treasury may be established and made known to them. *Twelfth.* That the said W. Colfax R. Colfax & A. Richards, ——— when directed by the proper officer, shall provide quarters for the soldiers or recruits that may be at any time at any recruiting rendezvous, where they shall be required to supply and issue rations, and also, the means of transportation for the soldiers or recruits, on their removal from the same; and also supplies of fuel and straw, in quantities prescribed by regulations adopted by the Department of War; with which they will be furnished, and it is agreed that they shall be allowed on the settlement of their accounts, the monies they shall actually pay for the quarters and transportation provided, and the supplies of fuel and straw, agreeably to the regulation mentioned, furnished by them and also a commission of two and one half per cent. on monies disbursed by them for the same. *Thirteenth.* That all such ——— as may be made to the said W. Colfax R. ——— and A. Richards for and on account of the supplies to [undecipherable] this contract, and all such sums of money ——— commanding officer of the troops or recruits that are or may be within the ——— said State [to] cause to be disbursed, in order to procure supplies, [undecipherable] of any failure on the part of the said W. Colfax and A. Richards ——— in complying with the requisitions herein contained, shall be duly accounted for by them ——— by way of set off, against the amount of such supplies, and the surplus, if any, repaid to the United States, immediately after the expiration of the term of this contract, together with an interest at the rate of six per centum per annum, from the time of such expiration, until the same shall be actually repaid. And that if any balance shall, on any settlement of the accounts of the said W. Colfax R. Colfax & A. Richards or their executors or administrators, be found to be due to ——— them, for or on account of the rations which shall be supplied, pursuant to this agreement, the same shall immediately be paid. And that no unreasonable or unnecessary delay, on the part of the officers of the United States, shall be given to the settlement of the accounts of the said W. Colfax R. Colfax & A. Richards their ——— executors or administrators. IN WITNESS whereof, the said Secretary of War, for and on behalf of the United States, hath hereunto subscribed his Name, and affixed the Seal of the War-Office of the United States; and the said W. Colfax R. Colfax & A. Richards have hereunto set their hands and seals the day and year first above written. Signed James Mc Henry Sec^y. of War Wm Colfax [seal] Robert Colfax [seal] Alex. Richards [seal] Signed, sealed and delivered in the presence of by Sam^l. Mc Henry & W. Colfax { John Caldwell N^m. Jones by Rob^t. Colfax { W.W. Sonner Rob^t. Colfax Jun^r. by Alex^r. Richards { Benjamin Stephens James Van Beuren A true copy by John Goulding