Burlington 20 May 1782 Sir [struck: I have written [inserted and struck: wrote] to his some time] sometime ago I wrote to his Excellency General Washington for directions when [inserted: & by what route] to order the Corps of Artillery [inserted and struck: under Colonel Curtis] [inserted: under Colo [Lamb] [inserted: could be] at this place to commence their March to [struck: The North] [inserted: Hudsons] River. In answer [inserted: to which] the General says, that he is so totally in the dark respecting the scene of operations for the ensuing campaign that he cannot [inserted: at present] give any directions concerning [struck: the [line] and route, that Colonel [Lambs] regiment shall must [inserted: [strikeout] the matter [strikeout but that as soon as he is decided he will give orders in [season]. This uncertainty of the Generals determination [struck: in some degree] perplexes [me] in a great degree, in making requisitions for Ordnance & Stores for the ensuing campaign- In case of an operation against new York we shall certainly want the [struck: Iron 18 pounders, and the 10 inch] ordnance contained in the [proper] Number one. The ordnance Contained in number two will be wanted for the common purposes of the Campaign. [inserted in left margin: The 8 inch howitzers, will be wanted at West point, to replace those taken from thence [struck: last] [inserted: last] Campaign and for other uses -] [struck: and it appears to me that under any circumstances a part of the 2 inch howitzers ought to go [inserted: to West point] where the troops shall march from hence, as we deprived [inserted and struck: that garrison] [strikeout [2] [struck paragraph: last year of nearly all the [inserted: 8 inch] howitzers of [those] sizes -If only part of the howitzers should be order'd in I think they ought to be of the french construction whose [diameter] is ¾ of an inch larger in [the] [illegible] than the english.-The reason that I have not presently requested them is, my knowledge of the difficulty of procuing the means of transportation, if you can remove this [inserted: difficulty] I pray that the whole of the howitzers english and [inserted: the] french [struck: may be sent] which were taken at York Town, and which are [struck: have] been [struck: remounted] [inserted: were mounted] at this place may be forwarded.] [end of struck paragraph] [inserted in the left margin of page 3: We took at York Town 6. [struck: 8 inch] french 8 inch Howitzers. those have [strikeout] new carriages made at this place-a hope was formed that the english 8 inch shells would answer without much variation. But by] By the fairest experiments it appears that the windage of an english 8 inch shell is too great to be be fired out of a [struck: n] [inserted: french] howitzer [struck: of the french] of that size which is actually ¾ of an inch larger than the english measure. The effect of the powder is lost in such a [inserted: manner] as to render the [firing] too uncertain to be depended on in any degree. This reduces [inserted: it] [struck: us] to the necessity of heavy shells cast on purpose. I shall [strikeout] [inserted and struck: with your permission] send [struck: an officer] Captain Stevens a careful Officer to [struck: superintend the p] Mr Faeshe [inserted: favors us] with the compleation of a shell agreeably to [struck: the enclos'd] a profile [struck: with orders to cast three thousand on this plan] [inserted: which he will give you. I beg you will give Capt Stevens an order to Mr. Faesh to cast 3000 of this construction.-and also order him [struck: some] a small sum of money for his [struck: expen] extra expences.] Captain Stevens will superintend the proving of the shells at that Furnace and will give a certificate of [such] [struck: shells] as shall be good. [struck: Captain Stevens will wait on you for ord] As I am on the subject of proving shells I submit to you [3] the propriety of [struck: proving] reproving all the shells in Pennsylvania & Maryland. The experience we had of [struck: their] [strikeout] [inserted: the last Campaign of] the great number of defective shells being sent from the furnaces for good ones will amply justify the measure, and save the mortification and chagrin arising from a repetition of the like in future. There are officers [inserted: & men] of the 4th regiment in Pennsylvania who might be employed on this Business. Capt Emmes of that regiment appears [struck: to me to] to me a careful officer & proper for the purpose- I have enclos'd a list of stores which [inserted and struck: under any circumstances] [inserted: definately] will be wanted for the Laboratories at West point & in the field, under any circumstances - as Most or all [struck: of these Articles] are [on hand] in Philadelphia [struck: I take the liberty] I request they may be forwarded to West Point when the Park shall move from here or previously [struck: but as] as you may think proper. [struck: The danger of Common mistakes issuing from Cannon of nearly the same calibre, [strikeout] me] I gave into your hands some papers which pass'd between his Excellency General Washington and the State of Virginia respecting [struck: the exchange] some [struck: bra] large brass Cannon in possession of [struck: the] [4] [inserted: & belonging to] [struck: to] that State, [struck: and] which the General at my instance requested to be deliverd to the continent, and for which other Stores might be given [inserted and struck: for them] I understand some of these Cannon are french 24 pounders [struck: which are so near the english measure] [inserted: the difference between which & the english measure is not [sufficiently] great [struck: to be] [strikeout] & to be very apparent] [inserted: and yet [struck: too large] the balls] as would be too large for the other that I am apprehensive frequent mistakes would arise which might be of more disadvantage than the [struck: possession] [inserted: want] of the Cannon - I therefore [struck: request that] would [strikeout] take the liberty to request that you would be pleased only to obtain those of 16 pounds [inserted: for] which [struck: answer without difficulty to our 18 pounders] 18 pound shot [inserted: english] will answer without difficulty. [struck: The very great heav] The heavy [struck: job] peice of [Work] which the Artificer's have had to make entirely new carriages for the french 8 Inch Howitzers, and one english [struck: are] has consumed so much time, & Mr. Hodgdon being unable to send them any assistance in blacksmiths as requested [struck: as to] [inserted: have] prevented their making [struck: as] [inserted: so] many of the new constructed Waggons and tumbrills as I requested - It therefore becomes absolutely necessary to have as many done by contract as possible and as we are so destitute of those carriages I beg that the original [5] original number [inserted: requested] of twenty [struck: of each] [inserted: Waggons & twenty Tumbrils] may be adhered to [struck: I beleive] [struck: I understand] The new cartridg Boxes requested some time ago will be much wanted, on the North River, it will therefore [inserted: be] necessary to send [struck: all that are finished] [inserted: from] Philadelphia all that are finished. [struck: I take the] I beg leave to lay before you a list of Stores, given to me by General [Irwin], which he says will be necessary in case of offensive operations from Fort Pitt. I submit the matter [inserted: entirely] to you. [struck: as I] I gave the QM General last February an estimate of horses which we should want for the field Artillery the ensuing campaign and I have lately sent him an estimate of horses Waggons and camp equipage which will be wanted for the troops, & Artificers here. I beg pardon for mentioning this to you, but I imagine his estimates must be made & submitted to your approbation, if so I am certain you will accelerate the business to the utmost of your power - [6] [struck: Colonel Lamb may also may probably have occasion to apply to you in purssuance of the] [strikeout] [inserted: will] I shall this day set out for Head Quarters. Colonel Lamb will take your orders respecting the execution of the foregoing business I have the honor Sir to be with great respect Your Humble Servt HKnox Honble Major General Lincoln Secretary at War. N.B. You may remember I mentioned the importance of having the [vents] of some of the Cannon and Mortars which were defective repair'd. some of those have been done [struck: well] apparently well by a person under the direction of Mr. Hodgdon. I request that all those which want may be [struck: done] repaired in the same manner. [docket] To General Lincoln 20th May 1782 -