1

Mount Pleasant 21^st August 1826

His Excellency
DeWitt Clinton

Sir I have rec^d yours of the 17^th and will
answer the questions in yours of the 7th as intiligably [sic] as I
can - 1^st What is the size of your penitentiary?

The Prison erecting here is to be 478 feet in length by 44 wide
and to contain 800 Cells 7 by 3 ^1/2 feet with a Keepers house. Guard
house and office at one end and Cook house and Hospital at
the other - 2^d What did it cost?
3^d How long has it been in use?} Now building

4 How high and thick are its walls and of what are they made?
The walls of this prison will be made of Marble 32 feet high
and 3 ^1/4 feet thick. It is almost impossible to give a
correct discription [sic] without a draft of its various parts-

5^th How many Cells does it contain? and are they constructed
for one or more persons to lodge in?
The first part of this question is answered above. The Cells are
intended for one person onley [sic]-

6^th How are your convicts clothed and fed. in what way
are they employed- and what is considered to be the most
profitable labour they can be engaged in-
They are clothed in winter in a striped sattinett [sic] manufatored [sic] at
the New York prison for that purpose and in summer
Cotten [sic] taking [page damaged]
by the [page damaged]
[Ratan?] [page damaged] Pork or 1 [?] Prime
Beef 3/4 [?] Rye Flour. 6 oz Indian Meal. and 3/4 Gill Molasses
and to each 100 [Rotrairs?] 3 Bushel Potatoes. 4 [quts?] Salt. 4 [quts?]
Vinegar & 2 oz Pepper - They are employed in erecting the
prison. the entire work of which they do with but one
Mechanic of each branch to superintend them - As to what
is considered the most profitable labour they can be em=
ployed in depends on circumstances. We think cutting
stone will be most profitable here but in many