The Hon^t. Accountants Office Sec^y of War August 19^th 1797 Sir I beg leave to hand you enclosed two letters dated 13 & 23 ult^o from the Temporary Pay Mast^r at West Point in which he requests Instructions relative to advancing money for the pursuit of Deserters. As expenditures for that object are taken out of the fund appropriated for the Incidental & Contingent Expences of the War Department I request you will be pleased to inform me what Instructions are to be furnished to m^r Freeman to guide him in his advances for that object. I am &c. Wm Simmons Acct. Capt R. Thompson Department of War of the 4^th Regiment Accountants Office (enclosed to m^r Henley) August 19^th 1797 Sir. There appears to your debit on the Books of this Office the sum of Two hundred nineteen ⁷/100 Dollars for the purposes as specified in the account annexed. — Pursuant to a Resolve of the House of Representatives of the 3 march 1797 I am required to lay before them within the first week in January next an abstract of the names &c of all those who stand charg'd with money at this Office, and in order to prevent