Certification that $6.67 is due Captain Richard S. Blackburn of the Corps of Artillerists and Engineers, being the balance of his account embracing bounties to soldiers, expenses of recruiting, incidental and contingent expenses, and monies remaining in his hands from the pay of himself and the detachment under his command at Fort Norfolk, for February 1797 through May 1798.
Wilkins sends five abstracts for disbursements of cash to various departments, including the hospital, Indian, provision, ordnance, and Quartermaster's. He asks that Steele acknowledge receipt of the abstracts and accompanying packets.
On Talleyrand's defense of the XYZ Affair, the course that will probably be pursued by the U.S. government, and the embargo. McHenry also weighs in on public opinion and the influence on elections, insisting that anti-Federalists are in the minority and that American opinion is nearly unanimous in opposing France.
Hamilton expresses his bewilderment that General Knox seems reluctant to serve as his subordinate in the Provisional Army and encloses a draft of a letter that McHenry can use as a response to Knox.
Alexander Hamilton acknowledges James McHenry's suggestion to the President calling Hamilton and Henry Knox into immediate service in the Provisional Army. Hamilton assures McHenry that he is willing to accept the appointment, but insists that he does not want an immediate change of residence. Hamilton concludes with a response to some of Knox's criticisms to McHenry and recommendations for officers.
Byers is part owner of a blast furnace in Springfield and stands ready to provide the United States with cannon balls. He wants to know who negotiates contracts for the US, what quantity and size of balls are needed, and how much per ton would be paid for delivering them to the public store.
Fleming explains that that there is not a haversack at West Point that is fit for a pattern. He expresses his sorrow that the yellow fever has visited Philadelphia yet again.
List of recruiting bounties by James Read, 2nd Regiment of Artillerists and Engineers, Easton Pennsylvania: Nicholas Kapens; John Leiter; Alexander Jamison; John Bruche; John Harris; James Barnes.
Enclosed are the receipts for bounties of two dollars given to each of two recruits and a duplicate of Elijah Kenyon's receipt for two dollars heretofore transmitted.
