Cow: Carrington Es^r Sup^t Richmond V^a Accountants Office July 9^th 1799 Sir I received your letter dated the 2^d Inst: [undecipherable] Cap^tn Alex^r Gibson's recept for Seven hundred seventy two [undecipherable] & eighty seven Cents, which will be entered on the Books of this Office — I am &c W.S. The Secretary of War July 9^th 1799 Sir Lieut^t William Steele of the 2^d Reg^t of A. &[undecipherable] at Portland, has exhibited a charge in his account of 1⁵⁰/100 [undecipherable] per Week, for the rent of a room as his Quarters from 5 Dec^r 98 to the 1 July Inst^t amounting to Doll 44 ²⁵/100, in support of this charge he produces an extract of your letter to him under date of the 21 May 1799, as this letter does not fix upon the sum to be allowed, the Secretary of War will therefore please to determine, whether the Sum charged by M^r Steele, is to be admitted to his credit — I am &c W.S. " Lieut^t Willm Steele July 9^th 1799 Portland M^e Sir The following is a copy of a letter from me to the Secretary of War on the subject of your claim for room rent — "Lieut William Steele of the 2^d Reg^t of Art^y & Eng^rs at Portland has exhibited a charge in his acc^t of one dollar $1⁵⁰/100 per Week for the rent of a room as his quarters, from 5 Dec^r 98 to 1 July Inst^t amounting to Forty four dollars & ²⁵/100 In support of this charge he produces an Extract of your letter to him under date of the 21 May 1799, as this letter does not fix upon the sum to be allowed, the Secretary of War will therefore please to determine whether the sum charged by M^r Steele is to be admitted to his credit." — In reply to the foregoing letter the Secretary of War returned the following answer — "It is impossible for the Secretary of War to say what is a reasonable allowance in the case of Barrack rent — The Accountant must either make the inquiry of persons on the Spot, or require of L^t Steele to produce a certificate from known Characters that the rent is according to the prices paid in the place, or take his own word for it, or require his Oath: the one or the other as may appear best" — To obviate the objections against the charge, it will be necessary for you to produce a certificate from known characters that the rent is according to the prices paid in the place And that the same was paid by you for the purpose therein expressed, and was unavoidable, there being no quarters provided by the United States — I am &c W. S.