[Docket, outer page:] [Right margin, rotated:] Accountants Office 29 May [undecipherable] from [undecipherable] the Accounts of [undecipherable] directing that the accounts of [undecipherable] Henley [undecipherable] [Left marginalia:] 23 May — [undecipherable] [undecipherable] by [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [Body of docket:] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] once [undecipherable] been [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] be [undecipherable] [undecipherable] Sir, Department of War. Accountants Office May the 22^nd 1799. In consequence of your letter of the 21^st. instant, the accounts of M^r. Samuel Henley, as Conductor of military stores, are under examination. The Accountant, however, submits for the consideration of the Secretary of War, the following remarks as proper to be decided on, before a settlement of this account takes place at this office. 1^st. The appointment of this Officer, by the Secretary of War, is as early as the 1^st of August 1792, since which time new organizations of the army have taken place, and no law since that period appears to have made any particular mention of or provision for any such officer; and as his accounts have hitherto been introduced through the medium of the Quarter-master General, as appertaining to the Quarter-master department, and should there be a necessity for continuing him under said appointment, would appear more proper to come through the same channel on the consideration above stated. The only account, which has been admitted directly at this Office, to the credit of this officer, has been passed purely as a sett off to an advance made him at his introduction to the office, and to close his account on the books thereof. 2. By the accounts transmitted to this office by the Quarter-master General, this officer appears to have drawn pay and subsistance as an Assistant Quarter-master, for eleven months of the same period during which he has been paid as Conductor of military stores, at a compensation equal to that of his other employment. 3. The accounts rendered by the Quarter-master General [strikethrough: exhibit charges for the pay and subsistance] of M^r. Henley as Conductor of military stores, and his pay and subsistance as an assistant Quarter-master, which have not yet been admitted, not knowing how far it would be proper for M^r. Henley to receive pay and subsistance in both these capacities, besides considerable errors appearing to the prejudice of the United States, in the price paid him for rations, amounting to the sum of one hundred and seven dollars ⁴⁹/₁₀₀, which are noted on the accounts rendered by the Quarter-master General, and will remain suspended untill explained away: should an admission of the account now presented take place at this office the Quarter-master General might probably conceive himself relieved from any responsibility in that head. As M^r. Henley is about to proceed to join the army, it is submitted to the Secretary of War, as to the propriety of directing an advance by the Agent of the Quarter-master General to be accounted for with him, in this case the account will pursue the same course of liquidation as heretofore, and will enable the Quarter-master General to correct the erroneous payments made by him for the rations. I am Sir very respectfully your Ob^t. Serv^t. The Secretary of War. [undecipherable signature]