Surveyors Office May 24^th 1800 Sir To enable me to execute the orders I had the honor to receive from your office it will be necessary that I be furnished with the following sums of money. Viz For the purchases directed to be made by your letter of the 20^th Instant for the Choctaw Indians — — $1.000 For those by letter of the 23^d Inst. for sundry Indian } Tribes — $14.000 For medicines & Hospital Stores for Major Freeman's } command, in South Carolina, by letter of 22^d 320 Some of the articles directed to be purchased perhaps may be had for less than the estimated prices. I find however on enquiry that more is demanded for others than is stated in the list enclosed to me. every attention will be paid to oeconomy in procuring them, but I submit it to you whether it would not be adviseable to issue rather more than the estimates, to prevent difficulties should its be insufficient. the surplus if any, can be accounted for in future supplies, or disposed of as I may be directed — I am also in immediate want of funds to pay those persons who contracted with M^r Williams, for cutting out the cloathing, making up the Shirts &c. — I am unable to State the amount I have a clerk at M^r [undecipherable] office copying the papers necessary for me to have but he has not yet compleated the business. permit me to call your attention to the appointing some [undecipherable] to inspect the Shirts Cloathing &c. to ascertain whether the contracts are complied with — a considerable number of the shirts are deposited in the public stores; and the Cloathing is nearly if not quite ready to be delivered in, M^r Harris cannot give the necessary receipts untill the inspection has been made, as the contractors are people who live by their labour I am sure they will receive your early consideration — I paid immediate attention to your orders of the 24^th Inst. to suspend the execution of the order given to M^r Williams dated the 28^th April so far as it respected the Cloathing for the Infantry — but on application to the contractor, I found the Coats were all cut out & part of the other articles; I requested him to make a report of the exact State in which the Cloathing was — which I have not yet received — I have been applied to by a number of persons who have demands against the late M^r. Francis, as Purveyor for work done for the public, or supplies furnished — on some accounts there have been partial payments; on others nothing has been paid, and in several instances it appears there is public property in the hands of individuals, it does not appear that any person can settle those accounts so well as M^r Francis's Executors, who have the assistance of M^r Govett his Clerk; if measures could be taken respecting the business previous to the removal of the Offices to Washington it might greatly facilitate the final Settlement of his accounts. — I merely take the liberty to mention the matters for your consideration — I have the honor to be [undecipherable] respectfully your Ob^t Serv^t — The Hon^ble James McHenry Secretary at War —