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At the same time Mr. Shaver (Proprietor of the VA. Hotel) had shown me an order given him by Bt. Col. C. C. Clay, late commander at this post, for nine hundred feet of lumber, in payment for lumber taken from him by said Clays command to be paid from lumber taken from said Barracks which order I at first refused to fill but afterwards did so by advice from Capt How. I had no means to pay expenses of taking down the Barracks, but as there was an immediate demand for some of the lumber, I employed as near as I can recollect three or four colored men, several days, and paid them out of my own pocket for their labor, and charged the same to the Trustees of the Church. After having torn down a sufficient amount to satisfy the immediate demand, I came to the conclusion that it was going to be too expensive a job to pay for out of my own pocket, and take my chances of having the money refunded. I therefore suspended operations and in a few day after so doing Major How visited this Sub. Dist. and I told him that I had no means for taking down the Barracks, and asked him what I should do. he replied by asking me if there were more than would be needed on the Church, and I told him I thought there were.

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