[255] The Secretary of War. Accountants Office Sir August 23. 1799 In reply to your letter of this day I have the [undecipherable] inform that the probable sums necessary to defray the expence of myself & the Gentlemen in my Office on the score of removing to Trenton will be One thousand one hundred & Seventy Dollars — Sum $[undecipherable]— 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: probable reading "Baker Swan Esq."] on the subject of [undecipherable] Advances [undecipherable] 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 23 Decem 1797 provides That the Secretary of War under such restrictions as are provided by the President of the United States and sanctioned by the Secretary is authorised to determine the rate of compensation and allowance for services of an incidental nature where no rate has been established by Congress — The claim of Capt. [undecipherable] Anderson is of this nature and [undecipherable] this practice has heretofore been that conformably to this [undecipherable] laid down for regulating allowances to Officers the Sec. of War has determined on the sum proper to be allowed — It may be proper to remark that I have noted on the account exhibited to me some days past by [undecipherable] Anderson that of an allowance was made to him for that [undecipherable] that there are many Officers who have a like claim [undecipherable] in consequence of being called upon to pay the Troops at the [undecipherable]