M. [undecipherable: Augustus] de Grasse D.W. Accountants Office Comp^e Eng^r Charleston S.C. October 2^d 1797 Sir I received your letter covering your account for Compensation as Temporary Engineer at Charleston for the Quarter ending the 30^th inst amounting to Two hundred & thirty dollars which sum you will receive from Daniel Storm Esq. Supervisor at Charleston on giving him the necessary receipts. Sam &c. W^m Simmons Acct^t Thomas Lewis Esq^r Accountants Office Germantown October 1. 1797 Sir I received the note of M^r Smith's on the subject of an advance of money to M^r Grant — In answer to which I have to observe that previous to my making the advance I did to Rogers and Carey, I communicated with the Secretary of War on the subject and have his authority therefor as well as a recommendation to that effect from the Committee of Congress in which however nothing was mentioned of M^r Grant, indeed no intimation was given me that his expences were to be paid by the United States — in the former cases the money is chargeable to Carey and Rogers in the Indian Department untill a fund is created by Congress out of which their expences are to be defrayed, and they are to account with Col. Henley accordingly — In this case I do therefore not feel myself authorized to make the advance required. I am &c. W^m Simmons Acct^t