[M^r James Simmons / Copy of a Letter to Jas. McHenry Secy of War 22^nd May 1800 relative to his Buildings occupied by the Public / nos 715.] [Copy] James McHenry Esq^r May 22^nd 1800 The time for which my property was leased to the Public for the use of the War Dept. Expires the first Monday in Dec. 1800, and as the Offices are about to be removed sooner than was contemplated by the law on which that lease was formed, I am led to state sundry Injuries which the property has sustained, and for which I claim Indemnification. You will observe by a certificate, from Col. Pickering, who rented property, filed in your Office, that Indemnification was the Terms on which I let the Property — Therefore State — First. There is a Partition and door removed & missing out of the back room down Stairs — 2^nd A Bulk and door out of the front room down Stairs — 3^rd A passage has been broke through, to the adjoining house, which must be walled up again 4^th A pair of Stairs broken to pieces, belonging to the front cellar door — 5^th There are several cart loads of dirt to be removed out of the Cellar — 6^th c A passage has been cut through the Joi[undecipherable: probable reading "Joists"] into the cellar & Injured them very much — 7^th The adjoining house, has all the floors Injured to that degree that there must be new floors. See Col. Pickerings certificate, the walls are all in a shamefull Situation, there are a Number of Locks & doors much Injured, a number of Stopes broken and the house will require considerable Expense to clean & White Wash — 8^th Sundry stove pipe holes, have Injured the property — 9^th Several Slabs are ruined before the fire places, by being broken to pieces — 10 A partition and door gone from the cellar of this house — These Items are what I claim Indemnification for, and in Agreeable to the present lease, there will be a short time to Expire after the removal of offices, and as the lease Expresses it shall not be Employed in any other way then for the Office without my permission. Therefore propose to take the premises and Exonerate the War Dept. of the Indemnification I have a just claim for. This I conceive is liberal and am Respectfully your &c. [signature] [c A Copy]