To James Madison from John Armstrong, 1 February 1814 (Abstract)
From John Armstrong, 1 February 1814 (Abstract)
§ From John Armstrong. 1 February 1814, War Department. “I beg leave to submit to you the following documents on the subject of the Resolution of the Senate of the 3d. ultimo1 in relation to the quantity of woolen goods provided for the Army during the last year &c.”
RC and enclosures (DNA: RG 46, Legislative Proceedings, President’s Messages, 13A-E6); letterbook copy (DNA: RG 107, LSP). RC 1 p. JM forwarded the report to the Senate on 3 Feb. 1814 (DNA: RG 46, Legislative Proceedings, President’s Messages, 13A-E6). For enclosures, see n. 1.
1. For the resolution, see William Jones to JM, 12 Jan. 1814, and n. 1. Armstrong enclosed Commissary General Callender Irvine’s 29 Jan. 1814 letter to him (4 pp.), covering six statements of the same date (6 pp.), showing the amount of woolen, cotton, leather, metal, and miscellaneous materials of domestic and foreign manufacture purchased for Army clothing in 1813, and estimating the amount needed for the same purpose in 1814. In his letter, Irvine observed that he was currently able to purchase more domestic goods than reflected in the statements and expected this ability to increase further; that the higher prices paid for U.S. commodities were justified if the quality was better, and because the money stayed in the country; and that Congress could give him more purchasing power by appropriating funds a year in advance.