Lieut^t Sam^l VⁿDyke, Accountants Office Fort M^cHenry October 14, 1799. Baltimore — Sir I have received your letter of the 6 Inst^t with it enclosed the sums paid by you to William Potts & Abe^l Hubart amounting together to 18 Dolls & 79/100 has been admitted to your credit leaving the balance now standing against you of Dolls 10. a Statement whereof, has been given to the Pay Master General who will of course make the necessary deduction of your pay from the Pay Rolls in order to refund that amount. The claim for rations sometimes on the recruiting service, cannot be admitted the rations allowed by law as subsistg Allowce being in full compensation for all who are employed in the execution of that service — the acct. or rect appearing to authorize the charge for advertising a Deserter it has not therefore been allowed. Your acct for expenses while marching French Prisoners, I forwarded thither you, the same is to be exhibited to the Department of the Navy for settlement I am &c W. S. The Secretary of War October 16. 1799 Sir I have rec^d your letter of the 11^th Inst^t. In reply to the last paragraph, quoting the words of General Hamiltons letter to you of the 20^th Ult^o I prefer to know what has been the prevailing custom in military settlements both where deserters have been pursued or apprehended — When detachments have been sent in pursuit of deserters agreeably to the accustomed [undecipherable]