Lieutenant Philip Rodrigue Accountants Office West Point November 16^th 1797 Sir I duly received your letters of the 5^th Ultimo and 13^th Instant enclosing the Enlistments and Receipts for Bounties therein mentioned and your statement of the same which is Suspended for want of your having produced the necessary authority to enlist Soldiers — I am &^c W^m Simmons Captain Joseph Elliot, Accountants Office Fort Wolcott November 16^th 1797 Sir I received Muster and Pay Rolls of the detachment under your command for July August and September 1797 from the War Office; before the latter can be acted on, it will be necessary on your part to conform to the regulations established in this department respecting the mustering of Troops which are, that when there are not two Junior Officers in a Garrison to Certify the Muster Roll the Same shall be sworn to by the Commanding Officers before a Magistrate; in order to comply with this regulation I herewith return you the Muster Rolls; it will be necessary in future that you annex your Signature to the Pay Rolls, which has not been the case in the present instance. I also return you Lieutenant Landais Account of Subsistence for 1797 which must be attested, or Certified by the Contractor before it can be acted on. I am &^c W^m Simmons Act^g