[Sep. 9. 1786 Col. Lee [Copied]] Office of Army Au: New York Sept 9^th 1786 Sir I avery it omitted two Accounts N° 1 & 2 exhibited to me by (Col Allen the same [late?] off both their degree, I find some objections arising on them, which [strikethrough: present propose] makes it improper for me to admit [strikethrough: them], agreeable to the [strikethrough: charges] [strikethrough: charges] principles adopted by me in accounts of this nature), without a from [strikethrough: the direction] the direction of Congress or N°. [strikethrough: The Advances made to [strikethrough: [undecipherable] 600] [strikethrough: Capt [undecipherable] 693] [strikethrough: Capt. [undecipherable] 300] [strikethrough: [undecipherable]] [strikethrough: M. Handy - 160] [strikethrough: Joel Stennis - $20] [strikethrough: Capt [undecipherable] 1500] Capt. Armstrong 360 [strikethrough: 200]] 3,615 [undecipherable] to be improper charges against these Officers and for which they ought to be accountable, but they have already charged their amounts without giving Capt. McLaine any credit for his advances, & therefore if they are now allowed they must be lost to the United States, unless the Officers can [strikethrough: be found], in which case [strikethrough: until] they are not liable to pay the money, because there was no receipt or authenticated [acquittance?] not produced to me, by which they can be found. The charges for expenses incurred in the aid viz: a Delaware — 1500 a Baltimore — 750 a Annapolis 1000 b Norfolk & Anne County 600 at Portsmouth — 1000 at Winsburgh — 1.000 at [Yangs] to — 300 at [Priscola?] 500 at Nampton 600 [Col Valle?] — 1000 [Uper Vale?] — 2000 [Charleston?] 3_00 10,750 1[0] 265 [are] accompanied with [their?] [undecipherable] that the money has been expended on proper occasions, but as these charges are [strikethrough: many] general, not sufficiently, [asserting?] the nature of the service and the time employed in it, and some of them being for the expenses of other persons, and the whole [was?] supported by particular vouchers for the payment of the money, I am inclined to suppose that they are not admissible agreeable to the [Resolution?] of Congress [strikethrough: [undecipherable] notification [undecipherable]] the only one admitting the allowance of personal expenses beyond the usual [allowance?] of [foreign] [D.?] [nations?] & Officers in command, not [entitleable?] to this duty, The account N° 2 appears to me to be liable to the preceding objections, and therefore will require the approbation of Congress, &c to being passed. I have very [reason?] to believe that Mr. McLane is an honest man, and that he would not exhibit an account which would injure the public to be admitted, but I am bound by general rules, which if violated in any instance, would be a precedent to others, and by that means give an opportunity to more designing and less honest-minded [undecipherable] to impose upon the United States. [Nor McLea] [undecipherable]