David Henley Esq^r. June 7 1799 At W. D. Knoxville Sir I have received your letter dated 22^d Ult^o with the several inclosures - The payments you have made for supplies to the commissioners for treating with the Cherokee Indians in addition to the former will be examined & your explanations of the addittional allowances taken into view when you will be informed of the result - I cannot undertake to judge of the propriety of Samuel Mitchell's account without seeing the vouchers for his payments, the receipts for the delivery of the articles purchased, and the authority on which the purchases were made. The instructions which you forwarded do not warrant any expenditure for supplies to the Indians - The receipt rolls of Cap^t Birds Company will be examined and the proper amount passed to his credit of which he will be informed - The opinion, you have given, relative to the 6 Months pay & subsistence allowed to Officers deranged on the 31 October 1796, under the act of Congress of the 3 march 1797 is erroneous as relates to Cap^t Bird, and if, in consequence of your having given it, you have made any payments on account thereof, you will consider yourself accountable, and direct Cap^t Birds to refund the amount immediately. The circumstances attending his claim are as follows. When the act of Congress for reducing the army has passed I requested of the Secretary of War a list of the names of the Officers who became supernumerary by that Law to govern me in making the proper allowances - Shortly after I had been furnished therewith, a M^r Ormsby produced a power of attorney from Cap^t Birds at this Office for the allowances granted to him as a supernumerary Officer - The list was referred to this name was found not to be included, in consequence of his filling the vacancy of Cap^t Crawford, and of course was not considered as intitled - The account was accordingly rejected and the