1. In his letter dated 12 April, Tench Coxe notified Wolcott that he had written James Read, collector at Wilmington, N.C., the previous September about the 1796 contract for stakeage. Coxe also wrote: “The enclosed papers No. 1. 2. & 3 have been this day received from him, you will be pleased to submit them to the President. The same business was done in 1791 for 85 Dollars, Tho it is presumed that the Buoys since authorized by law will diminish the number of stakes in the most expensive places, yet it does not appear probable that a new Contract could be effected on better terms” (DNA: RG 26, Lighthouse Letters).

Coxe enclosed a note from a pilot named Isaac Davis written at Smithville, N.C., on 12 Dec. 1795, and proposing to “undertake the Stakeage of the River Cape Fear and keep it in repair for the year 1796” for $100. Coxe also enclosed the contract entered into by Davis and his securities with Read (both items, DNA: RG 26, Lighthouse Deeds and Contracts). When Coxe wrote Read on 15 April, he acknowledged a letter from Read to him dated 25 March, which presumably was the third enclosure. Coxe then reminded Read to seek proposals earlier to obtain better prices “as well as to save the trouble of explanations to the President when a contract is not made in due time” (DNA: RG 26, Lighthouse Letters).

2. GW approved the agreement on this date (see the contract with Davis, and JPP, description begins Dorothy Twohig, ed. The Journal of the Proceedings of the President, 1793–1797. Charlottesville, Va., 1981. description ends 334).