Treasury Department Circular to the Naval Agents, 19 August 1794
Treasury Department Circular to the Naval Agents1
Treasury Department August 19th 1794
Sir,
There has been furnished to you as Agent for the Frigate to be built at Boston the sum of five Thousand Dollars.2
The laws respecting the Treasury and War Departments, direct that all supplies for the latter shall be procured under the direction of the former.3 This part of the business of the Treasury Department has been confided by me to the Commissioner of the Revenue, who is Tench Coxe Esquire4 and who will accordingly communicate with you respecting the Supplies which you are to provide.
With Esteem I am Sir, Your very Obedient Servant
A Hamilton
LS, to Henry Jackson, The Darlington Collection of the University of Pittsburgh Library.
1. For information concerning the naval armament, see Henry Knox to H, April 21, 1794. See also Knox to H, second letter of June 25, July 14, 1794; Tench Coxe to H, August 2, 12, 1794; H to Henry Jackson, August 14, 1794.
2. As the words “Boston” and “five thousand Dollars” were inserted in this letter, it may be assumed that the town and sum differed in each circular.
3. Section 5 of “An Act making alterations in the Treasury and War Departments” reads as follows: “That all purchases and contracts for supplying the army with provisions, clothing, supplies in the quartermaster’s department, military stores, Indian goods, and all other supplies or articles for the use of the department of war, be made by or under the direction of the treasury department” ( 280 [May 8, 1792]).
4. See H to Coxe, April 4, 1794.