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Department of War, November 3rd. 1817. Sir, I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 18th unclear, in which you refer to one of the 16th which has not been received, but that of the 12th has. I have directed five thousand dollars to be remitted to you, for the purpose of repairing of the road from fort Hawkins to fort Stoddert ; which you will apply to that object in such manner as you may deem more expedient. Gen. Gaines inform me, that he has opened and repaired about ninety miles of the road, with the troops under his command. I therefore hope that, with the funds now transmitted, and with the aid of the troops, you will be able to make a good waggon road and bridge the water courses where it is indispensably necessary. The citizen of Georgia and travellers complain much, not only of the road, but of the impositions which they are subjected to by the Indians. As the chiefs of the creek nation have refused to permit our citizens to establish public houses and ferries on this road within their limits, I know of no means by which those complaints can be even partially remorsed, except you can obtain an article in the treaty, which you are authorized to hold, by which the nation will stipulate to keep up public houses and ferries, subject to such rates, and tolls, as may be fixed upon annually by the agent of the