[War Dept. 31^st May 1800. / Abinah Tracy, Esq^r.] War Department, 31^st May, 1800 Sir, The president of the United States, confiding in your integrity, industry and abilities, has been pleased to direct that you be appointed to visit and examine into the actual State of the Garrisons, Indian Trading Houses or Factories, and public property of every description, with the manner of preserving or disposing of the same, for use or consumption, in the North Western Territory, on the Mississippi and on the frontiers of Tennessee and Georgia, and you are hereby appointed. It has been the practice throughout the Western frontiers of the United States for Military Commanders to hold Talks with the Indians; to issue Rations to them; occasionally to supply them with ammunition and Clothing, and sometimes to make them other presents, and this without any precise instruction. Orders have sometimes since been given by the Secretary of War, to restrain the issues of Rations at Military posts, to abstract as far as practicable Military Commandants from interference in Indian Concerns, and to confine them exclusively if possible to the Colonial or Territorial Governors, and the particular Superintendants of Indian Affairs. The intent of which orders was, not only to lessen the public expenditures by abridging the issues of Rations and presents of public property to Indians, but to obviate the ill consequences and confusion to be feared from two distinct Authorities, Military Commandants and Indian Superintendants, acting at the same time, and without concert on the same subjects, and to create a more perfect control or influence over the Indians, by an uniform system, to be acted upon by one and the same authority, to which such concerns should be exclusively committed. As far as these orders have been observed, beneficial effects have apparently resulted — And certain Military Officers have notwithstanding suggests the impropriety of resisting the applications of Indians for Rations and presents, and that powerful reasons exist why military Commandants should not be precluded from their traditional connections with the Indians or from the power of retaining them in their Interest by acts of Bounty. A Question accordingly presents and requires to be definitively settled whether Military Commandants, except in cases of extraordinary urgency, or absolute necessity, and upon their strict and exclusive responsibility, should be permitted to issue Rations, or present public property to Indians at Military posts, unless upon the express requisition of a Colonial or Territorial Governor or the Superintendant of Indian Affairs. A satisfactory solution of this Question can best be obtained by an examination into facts and existing circumstances along the Western frontiers by an intelligent, upright and disinterested person. You are authorised and required to make this examination, and to report the result of your enquiries and observations. It is conceived indispensable to correct information, that Government should from time to time receive Statements of the actual situation of Garrisons, and all public property, and of the quantities and qualities of the latter through other channels than the responsible Officers or Agents intrusted, and that to an intimate knowledge in particular of the manner in which the Indian Factories or Trading Houses established at [undecipherable] Blockhouse and upon the Tennessee, have been conducted, of the Stocks on hand, and of the prospect of continuing them so as to comport with the intentions of Congress expressed in the law for their establishment, that the Capital Stock permitted may not be diminished, information obtained through them through the Agents or Factors is absolutely necessary. You are authorised to visit the Garrisons and Factories in the Quarter mentioned, viz: the North Western Territory on the Mississippi, and on the frontiers of Georgia and Tennessee, to make actual examination respecting the last mentioned objects, and required to report the result of your enquiries and observations. From the Mission with which you are charged, your intelligence, integrity and patriotism being well known, considerable benefits are expected to the public and much utility to the succeeding Secretary of War by furnishing in one view, a map of information more complete than is otherwise attainable, and certainly in an imperfect degree without considerable research and experience in the Department. Your Report should present to the Secretary, the clearest conviction of errors where they have occurred, and faults where they have been committed in order to their remedy, and particularly advert to the circumstances of the different articles of public property, being respectively deposited in stores best adapted to their preservation or otherwise, as the case may be. I have the honor to be, Sir, Your obed^t. Servant, (signed) James McHenry, Sec^y of War. The Honorable Abiah Tracy.