To Alexander Hamilton from Henry Knox, 9 July 1794
From Henry Knox
War Department, July 9, 1794. “I request that you would be pleased to deside as early as may be, the articles …1 to be obtained by the naval Agents, at Norfolk, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, Boston and Portsmouth.2 Altho I have not yet definite Answers from all those places, yet as soon as I shall receive them, I am desirous of putting every thing in train of execution.”
LC, RG 45, Unbound Records, Area 7 Files, National Archives.
1. These “articles” were for the naval armament. See Knox to H, April 21, 1794.
2. See Knox to H, June 25, 1794. On July 3, 1794, Knox wrote to Henry Jackson of Boston, John Blagge of New York, Francis Gurney and Daniel Smith of Philadelphia, Jeremiah Yellot of Baltimore, William Pennock of Norfolk, and John Langdon of Portsmouth offering them the position of naval agent in the respective ports (LC, RG 45, Letters Sent Concerning Naval Matters, National Archives). Yellot, after accepting the offer, resigned, and Samuel and Joseph Sterett of Baltimore became naval agents at Baltimore (Tench Coxe to Yellot, August 4, 1794 [LC, RG 75, Letters of Tench Coxe, Commissioner of the Revenue, Relating to the Procurement of Military, Naval, and Indian Supplies, National Archives]); Langdon declined the position and Jacob Sheafe of Portsmouth was appointed (Coxe to Langdon, August 1, 1794 [LC, RG 75, Letters of Tench Coxe, Commissioner of the Revenue, Relating to the Procurement of Military, Naval, and Indian Supplies, National Archives]).