[the Accountants Office c. May 19^th 1797 Mr Simmons [undecipherable]] Accountants Office May 19^th, 1797 Sir My last letter to you was dated 18^th Ulto — I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letters of the 27^th March & 27^th Ultimo, the latter enclosing an Abstract of your payments, in continuation from the last received from you. The correctness as well as order in sending your Abstracts & Accounts Current is highly necessary, being called upon by Congress to render an Abstract of the Accounts of the Receivers of Public monies on the 1^st Monday in January next, together with an Estimate of the unappropriated monies in the hands of such persons. I would wish to settle as many accounts in the interim as possible. Yours in particular I wish to have stated in such a manner that I can satisfactorily lay before them a true state of the expenditures made by you in that Country from the commencement of your transactions up to the end of the last year as far as relates to this Department. To enable me to do this you must be aware that Abstracts correctly stated, together with the Vouchers now in your possession & those which you may hereafter receive for expenditures within the time above mentioned are necessary — and must be forwarded without delay. In the Abstracts forwarded you have included a number of charges improper to be settled at this Office — They will be deducted therefrom, I have on a cursory view formed a list of such as I conceive improper to be settled here, which I enclose you — you will govern yourself accordingly in your next abstracts. The Estimate forwarded I have also received — that part relating to the Quarter Masters Dep^t will be deducted, and the amount paid from the proper Department as well as the Indian Factor and his Clerk. M^r Hays the Muster Master, has accounted for the four Hundred dollars, you advanced him on account of his Salary. As to any subsequent duty from that last settled for, the Compensation must rest with the Secretary of War. I am Sir Your M^t Ob^t Serv^t [signed: Simmons] Acct. David Henley Esq^r AWD Knoxville Tennessee