Knox, Henry, 1750-1806 Circular

Addressed to three Commissaries of Military Stores: Mr. P. V. Renselaer [likely Philip Van Rensselaer] of Albany, Mr. [John] Ruddock of Fishkill, and Mr. [Richard] Frothingham of West Point. Written in the hand of Samuel Shaw, Knox's aide-de-camp and signed for Knox by Shaw. Knox asks the Commissaries to prepare an "accurate return of all the ordnance and stores which were in your possession" through July of 1782, as well as an exact account done from an actual survey, of the stores in their possession. They must prepare it as soon as possible. Has enclosed a form to fill out and warns them that it "will be a work of considerable length and require great attention in its execution." Further, writes that the Commissaries must be careful in specifying the amount of articles each container holds, because they are not standard in size; since "a cask of powder may be called such, whether it contains twenty pounds or two hundred," they must be clear as to the quantity of items in each container.