To George Washington from Henry Knox, 10 May 1793
From Henry Knox
War department May 10th 1793
Sir,
I have the honor to report to you, that a letter, of the purport of the enclosed, be written to Governor Lee in answer to his letter of the 2d instant relatively to the fortification of Norfolk1—I took the liberty of laying his letter before the other heads of departments and the Attorney General—who were of opinion as stated in the proposed answer.2 I have the honor to be with the highest Respect your most obedt servant
H. Knox
LS, DLC:GW; LB, DLC:GW.
1. See Henry Lee to GW, 2 May.
2. In his letter to Lee of 10 May, Knox wrote that although GW “acknowledges the propriety of your observations,” he nevertheless “finds himself restrained at present from directing any measures which must lead to considerable expences, for which there is neither authority nor appropriation by the Legislature of the United States” ( 6:366–67; see also 132, 134–36).