War Department Gentlemen Frequent references being made to me, to determine the extra allowances to Officers attached on Service, so as to be obliged to incur expences, on the road, and at places, where there are no military posts, which references have interrupted much, and would probably still more, in the event of augmenting the army of the United States, with the more important business of this Department, I was [strikethrough: in] induced to request, through Major General [strikethrough: Hamilton] Hamilton, the opinions of the Commander in Chief, himself, and Major General Pinckney on the subject — [strikethrough: the] Generals having conferred together, General Hamilton has transmitted the inclosed, as the result of their collective opinions. I have the honor, respectfully to submit the same, to the Heads of Departments and the Attorney General, and to ask their advice, whether it will not be proper and conducive, to ease the Secretary and Department of [strikethrough: what] of much embarrassment and trouble, to establish as a general rule to govern in all cases of allowance to Officers attached as above, the [strikethrough: enclosed] regulations [strikethrough: as] shown in the inclosed paper. I have the honour to be with the greatest respect Gentlemen Your most Ob^t & h^ble Serv^t James McHenry Timothy Pickering Esq. Sec^y. of State Oliver Wolcott Esq. Sec^y. of the Treasury Benj^a Stoddert Esq. Sec^y. of the Navy Charles Lee Esq. Attorney General.