[12] Son & Davidson Esq^r Boston — Accountants Office April 10^th 1800 Sir I have received your letters of the 7^th of the [undecipherable] last with your accounts against the Fortifications for March last, which will be placed under examination & you, informed of the result — The Secretary of War's Instructions to you of date Sept [undecipherable] says "Your duties generally will be to make all purchases or contracts for the War department substantially to procure such materials as may be required to complete the works" & in the concluding paragraph "the compensation to your trouble in the performance of the duties hereby enjoined you, will be a [undecipherable] of 2½ p [undecipherable] on the amount of your expenditures, provided the [undecipherable] shall not [exceed] 2000 Dollars and one & a half p [undecipherable] on all above that sum," hence it is evident that my construction of your instructions as relates to the compensation [undecipherable] late allowed to you is correct — [undecipherable] W.S.