Captⁿ Edward Miller Middletown, Connect^t Accountants Off^ce March 21^s Sir Chauncey Whittlesey Esq^r late Contra^r at the Post of Middletown, on settlement of his a/c at the Treasury presented on account of expences paid you for apprehending 8 [strikethrough: run] Deserters, amounting to forty six Dollars. the account was rejected at Treasury Department & sent to this Office to be acted on. It has been censured as an improper Payment and is returned to M^r Whittlesey with a direction that you would be directed to refund the amount to him. I take this step without consulting the Secretary of War on it, as he decidedly declares that you had no authority for making such of the Contractor & that you should refund the amount as stated. Whittlesey. If it should appear on settlement of your accounts that the charge is a proper one, the amount will be entered to this Office is only the proper one to make application for payment of accounts of that nature, and it was thought to have been generally understood by Officers of the Army. I am &^c Peter^s &^c &^c Chauncey Whittlesey Esquire Middletown, Connecticut Accountants Off^ce March 2[undecipherable] Sir The Comptroller of the Treas^y to this Office an account of expences you paid to Captⁿ Edward Miller apprehending & a Deserter amounting to forty six Dollars. I return it to you as an improper payment, that you may have the amount refunded. Captⁿ Miller he has no authority to apply to Contractors to furnish money for such objects, he will be written to on the subject & desire the amount to you I am &^c Peter^s