City of Washington Aug. 12^th 1800. My D^r Sir I have your favour by Alan Ranselon & shall support his Views with my [underline: utmost] Ingenuity, tho' [undecipherable] case & our Self is I fear [undecipherable] — He may however be kept on the Rolls on the Ground of expediency, until the Legislature meets; and then the glaring impropriety, not to say necessity, of the establishment, will certainly give us a remedy — even among [undecipherable] on — [undecipherable] — inspection of the law making [undecipherable] Officer — Are not Brigade Inspectors to Inspect whole Brigades of whatever [undecipherable] composed — can the "Inspector of Artillery" roam the circle of our wide Spread Posts monthly — has He a power to depute Subordinates? would not his exercise of such a power vitally wound the principles of Command, & confound the details of the particular Corps, over which he exercised this Authority — do you discern a distinction in the Duties of an "Inspector of Artillery" "an Inspector of Fortifications" & "an Inspector of the Troops"? and are not the What are your opinions of the functions of an "Inspector of Artillery," who is to be "Instructed by the Secretary of War" — are his Duties Scientific or Mechanical — is he the Inspector exclusively of the Corps of Artillerists & Engineers, as to Dress, Discipline, Arms, Accoutrements, [undecipherable] &c., or will he not find more than sufficient employ in carrying his attentions to Cannon & Ordnance, And their Complicated apparatus, ammunition, Implements & Machinery, from the foundry to the platform, are the Duties comp[undecipherable] [undecipherable] under the regulations of the Inspectorate, & the exp[undecipherable] — I am sorry to press you, but the nominations to fill, vacancies cannot be suspended longer than this — and the Secretary is anxious as I am myself for your recommendations — Have all the recruiting parties East of the Delaware been ordered in — We have not yet [undecipherable] Men a proper [undecipherable] at Pittsburgh, a number far [undecipherable] of calculations, and from the best documents I can find it would appear that the old Establishment is deficient more than 2000 Men — Duties of the last already ascertained — are not our Artillerists armed and accoutred in the manner of our Infantry, and are they not exposed to the same Duties, & Subject to the same Laws of Police & Discipline — have not the Inspectors of the Troops heretofore inspected the Artillery — & has inconvenience or injury arisen from the practice — is it not the most convenient regulation, to order the Commanding Officers of Posts to inspect in ordinary, where the regular Inspecting Officer cannot attend? Is not this the only [undecipherable: probable "practicable"] mode, while our Posts are [undecipherable] over the [undecipherable] distance we at [undecipherable] occupy — Can an Officer acting under a Staff appointment, which will require almost incessant mobility, from one extreme of the Union to the other, exercise the Command & govern the Details, a Stationary Corps? can the functions of an Engineer, of an Inspector of Ordnance, derived from a particular course of Scholastic Education & from long experience, be delegated? — Would not such delegation if permitted be destructive of responsibility & reposing with confidence on your Friendship, I offer you these Questions without apology, and will thank you for a luconic response, as soon as may be convenient — Will you suffer me to add in strict confidence — do you Know [undecipherable] — have measured his Talents — what [undecipherable] He to [undecipherable] to do every[undecipherable] — I have not yet discovered capacity for any thing — But our acquaintance is in the Bud, as I had never seen [undecipherable] until my arrival here. — Adieu With respect [undecipherable] [undecipherable] Genl Hamilton [undecipherable] — heard, but [undecipherable] the fact, that a Capt [undecipherable] is at Springfield with a Company, He wants orders [undecipherable] told, but will not report himself — I have therefore a- dressed the enclosed to him which I will ask the favor if you to seal & forward if my information should be correct —