[253] The Secretary of War Accountants Office Sir August 23 1799 In reply to your letter of this day I have [to] inform that the probable sums necessary to defray the expences of myself & the Gentleman in my Office on the event of removing to Trenton will be One thousand nine hundred & Seventy Dollars — Sum $p.o. R.S. Remarks of the Accountant of the Department of War on the letter of the 21 August 1799 from the Secretary of War to [undecipherable] [undecipherable] on the subject of [undecipherable] drawn for compensation The fourth section of the rules laid down by the President of the United States communicated to me by the Secretary of War in his letter of the 21 Dec^m 1797 provides that the Secretary of War under such restrictions as are [undecipherable: probable reading "pointed"] by the President of the United States and authorized by the Secretary is authorized to allowance the rates of [undecipherable] and allowances for services of an [undecipherable] nature where no rules has been established by Congress — The [undecipherable] of [undecipherable] is of this nature and this practice has heretofore been [undecipherable] conformably to this & Articles laid down for regulating allowances for Officers the Sec. of War has allowanced on this same paper to be allowed — It may be proper to remark that I have noted on the account exhibited to me some days past by [undecipherable] that of an allowance was made to him for [undecipherable] that there are many Officers who have a like claim in consequence of being called upon to pay the Troops at this