The Secretary of War Accountants Office Sir June 10^th 1799 In reply to your letter of this date on the subject of the suspicious account of Eliezer Stevens Esq^r for Overalls supplied by him to the troops in the harbour of New York at West Point I have to request your reference to the annexed Extract from several letters written by me to Mr Stevens on the subject in question by which it will appear that he was apprised of the objection to the paying of his account at this Office as early as the 18 Jany last— His objection has not yet been [strikethrough: answered] removed & therefore the amount of his account above mentioned cannot be paid to his credit— I am &c M Simmons Extract of a letter from the Accountant of the War Department to Eliezer Stevens A. M. D. at New York dated January 18^th 1799 "I have received your letter of the 16^th & 16^th Instants with their Inclosure, but before I can act on the account transmitted for Overalls supplied by you to the troops at New York & West Point it is necessary that you furnish me with evidence of their having been inspected conformably to a letter from the Secretary of War dated the 13^th Nov^r 1798." From the same to the same dated Jan^y 23 1799 "I have received your letter of the 22 that & respecting the Overalls, was in answer hereto to refer you [undecipherable] of the 18^th, the evidence required cannot be other than proof from testimony, & this unless the same [undecipherable] furnished, the [undecipherable] shall be able to act on your account—"