[Docketing: Colonel [undecipherable] Williams / No 10. — $1600 Salary [undecipherable] / [undecipherable] annual — [undecipherable] / [undecipherable] commencement —] Samuel Hodgdon Esq^r [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] Intendant [undecipherable] Stores Philadelphia [Received from State Dep^t Nov. 24, 1804. B.P.O.401810.] Springfield March 4^th 1800 Sir, By this days Mail I received your letter of the 24^th ult. enclosing sixteen hundred Dollars in Post Notes on account of the Army having three days longer passage then usual — this sum closes the amount of my Estimate of expenditures for the Month of January. At what price could five thousand Bushels of Sea Coal from Virginia be contracted for with you to be delivered at Hartford of Connecticut by the first of August for the use of the Armory — this Quantity is calculated for a years stock — a saving may be made to the United States by forming the contract in season — if the trouble is not too great — your enquieries & the result communicated to me would be obliging. You will see by the Military Return that a large Quantity of wornout files has been received from the Armory & deposited in the Arsenal — I am fully of opinion, that if a good File Cutter, one that is master of the profession could be procured in Philadelphia & sent to the Factory, would be beneficial to the Works & make a hansome saving to the United States — I submit this to your consideration. I am Sir Your obedient servant Joseph Williams Samuel Hodgdon Esq^r