[194] The Sec^ry of War Account[undecipherable] Sir February [undecipherable] I have just received your letter of this [undecipherable] wishing to know [undecipherable] should my presence be required at West Point, by th[undecipherable] of enquiry, [undecipherable] whether it can be given without material in[undecipherable] to the business of my Office; In reply I have, to observe, That the [undecipherable] of this Office has lately very considerably increased, and is likely [undecipherable] so for a length of time, that notwithstanding [undecipherable] my presence [undecipherable] indispensable [undecipherable] any moderate p^r[io]d, I shall make the nec[e]ssary arr[undecipherable] so that the business of my Office shall not suffer in my absence — I [undecipherable] however, to request should my presence be necessary, to receive early [undecipherable] thereof that I may have time to make those arrangements — Sam [undecipherable] W [undecipherable] Lieu^t Horatio H. Dayton Accountants Office Elizabeth Town, New Jersey February 7 [undecipherable] Sir I received your letter of the 16[undecipherable] enclosing your account for Subsistence from 1^st September to 31^st Dec[undecipherable] on reference at the Department of the Treasury, I find the Contract price for 1797 at New Brunswick was only Sixteen Cents, it is not likely [undecipherable] be more at Elizabeth Town, had a contract existed there [undecipherable] the [undecipherable] I have accordingly had your account stated at that Price, which [undecipherable] to forty eight Dollars & ninety six cents, and which sum Together [undecipherable] that of your pay from 1^st August to 31^st December 1797, you will rec[undecipherable] [undecipherable] Nicholas Fish Esq^re Supervisor at New York, on your giving him the[undecipherable] receipts for the same, both amounting to one hundred sixty eight [undecipherable] & ninety five cents — Sam [undecipherable] W [undecipherable]