From Alexander Hamilton to ———, 7 August 1792
To ———
Treasury Department
Aug 7. 1792
Sir
In adjusting the accounts of the contractors for supplying the army with shoes1 a charge will occur for boxes in which they were packed.2 This charge in its principle is deemed a reasonable one. It will of course remain to judge of the reasonableness of the quantum and who are the parties intitled; in other words, whether the contractors have paid the money or are authorised to include it in their accounts.
I am with great consideration Sir Your obedt servt.
A Hamilton
ALS, Boston University.
1. The firm of Nathaniel Beach and Abiel Canfield of Newark, New Jersey, had contracted to supply the Army with shoes. See William Seton to H, May 28, June 3, August 3, 1792.
2. In July, 1792, Jonathan Andress submitted a bill for making shoe boxes to the Treasury Department, and at the same time Stephen Hays submitted a bill for packing 18,376 pairs of shoes. The charges are not included in the statement of Beach and Canfield’s account, dated August 8, 1792, but Canfield was directed to accept the payments due both to Hays and to Andress (D, RG 217, Miscellaneous Treasury Accounts, 1790–1894, Accounts No. 2833, 2834, 2835, National Archives).