[178.] Rufus Putnam Esq^r Accountants Office Marietta Sept^r 15. 1796 Sir! I have the honor of acknowledging the receipt of your letter of the 22 inst enclosing the pay & Subsistence Abstracts which were some time since forward to you from this Office, with your Certificates annexed. The certificates appear to me to be quite to the point, but as the final Examination of the accounts does not rest in this Office I will refer the same to the heads of the Department and if they coincide in opinion with me the amount will be passed to the Credit of Col^o Sprout. In the mean time, give me leave to assure I am with due respect &c. W^m Simmons clk Capt. Russell Bissell. Accountants Office Presque Isle. Sept^r 16. 1796 Sir Received yours of the 5^th ult^o which was omitted to be answered before now. The Seventy two Dollars for pay & Forage of D^r Balfour has been passed to your Credit & charged to Major Isaac Craig. The Rest Rolls you mention the sum are received, and after Examination will be passed to your Credit. I am &c W^m Simmons & sec^y Caleb Swan Esq^r Accountants Office Head Quarters of Sept^r 15^th 1796 The Army Sir I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 1^st July last enclosing a Duplicate of Gen^l Wilkinsons Letter to you on the subject of Forage being paid to Sub-legionary Pay & Quarter Masters, in which he differs from the opinion of the Attorney General — and has accordingly directed you in opposition thereto to make these payments — all I have to observe on the subject is that on the examination of the accounts