[Nº 3.] [Secretary at War] [1800 Jan. [undecipherable]] I enclose cop[ies of] an act to suspend in fo[rce,] [and] an act to augment the army of the United States, w[hich] p[assed the House] [the] 20 ultimo, providing that all further enlist[ments] [under] the 2^d Sec[tion] of the original act, shall be suspended unt[il] [fu]rther order of Congress, unless in the recess of Congress, a[nd] dur[in]g the contin[u]ance of the existing differences betwe[en the Uni-] [t]ed States, and the French Republic, war shall break ou[t between the Uni-] [t]ed States, and the French Republic, or imminent dan[ger] [of] inva[sion of their territory by the said Republic, shall in the opin]ion of the President of the United States, be discovered to exist. You will be pleased to issue your orders [to car-] [r]y into effect, the intentions of the act, and stop rec[r]uiting fo[r] that part of the army contemplated. My letter to you, of the 25^th January, la[st was] written in expectation of the passing of the enclosed a[ct,] an[d] designed to effect the same purpose, as a direct co[un]terman[d of] recruiting for the 12 Regiments. The propose[d] chan[ge of] th[e terms] [o]f enlistment, so as to embrac[e] the [undecipherable] and during the existing differences, between the [United States an]d the French Republic, or for five years, at the option [of the] Government" — it was expected would prevent a wa[ste of] public money, by securing the men that might be enlisted un[der] such terms in all events to fill up the Regiments on the o[ld] [estab]lishment, without additional [b]ounty an[d ex]pen[se] , the number enli[s]t[e]d, exceeding what i[s] req[ui]s[ite] to fill [up] of the defic[i]ent ranks on the o[ld] establishment, which I pray you sedulously to give. As rec[r]uiting rendezvous we[re] already established, it was believed proper to make them for a time most useful by [a] change, which in one event woul[d] give the m[e]n enlisted to the new Regiments, and in another secured them [to] the old withou[t] fresh expences. With respect to cloathing for the ensuing ye[ar] for the army under your command you will pe[r]ceive tha[t] [wh]ile 12 Regiments, perhaps blame would alle[ge, if under form-] [er] circumstances entire new cloathing was order[ed] to be made up, for the 12 Regim[en]ts, calculating them, as complete [as] the former stock [expended,] the complement for these Reg[im]ent[s] [is] 8448 non com[m]is[s]ioned offic[e]rs and privates bu[t] by the last returns forwarded to me, 3399 only, were enlisted; since the date of those returns, no doubt further enlistments have been made will these however when added make a total exceeding 4000! Cloathing for the whole nu[m]ber, or the 1[2] Regiments comp[l]eated was made and forwarded within the last year. the application of the suits, is not suppos[ed] [t]o exceed the numbers en[l]isted which taken at 4000 would leave a surp[l]us at the different depots and subj[ect to] the orders of the proper offic[er]s — of 4[4]48 suit[s] whi[ch] m[ay] [affe]c[t] [undecipherable] some Regiments, hav[e] [been] nearly comp[l]eat[ed], [w]ho have [had] nearly all their cloathing, for the last ye[ar,] others [who] have [had] [fe]w men and have [had u]pon [too] few suit[s] — such c[irc]umstances [urge] — the neces[s]ity of appr[o]pr[i]ating the surplus cloathing of the different regiments, beyond what ha[s] be[en] expended or will be required for such deficient Regiments for the ensuing year to the cloathing of the more comp[l]eat regiments for the year 1800 — This surplus cloathing [more or none] is deposi[t]ted with the different Paymasters of Regiments — It will require your orders to make returns, of what wi[ll] remain in their hands respectively — after deducting the [pro-] [posed] supply for each regiment for the current year or where there is a deficiency, the exact Statement [of] it. When these returns are obtained it is thought it will be [possib]l[e] [to] direct the [Qua]rt[e]r Master General to provide for trans[p]ort[ing] the surplus clothing, that will be at many places, to such [r]egiments as [r]equire it — Should any orders from me [be] necess[a]ry in this business they will immediately [be] giv[en] upon your intimating it. I enclose a copy of regulations, ado[pted by the Depar]tmen[t] respecting the allowance of Barracks, or [Qua]rters, [to Officers of th]e army, and of fuel to General Officers, and the Sta[ff of the Army,] which I have desired the Accountant to consider, as director[y] in all Accounts to which they may be applicable. I have the honor to be, with g[r]eat [re]sp[ect,] Your Mo[s]t O[b]edient Se[rvan]t James [McHenry] to General Alexander Hamilton