Caleb Swan Esq^r P. M. G. Accountants Office October 22, 1799 Sir The accounts of P^t Welles which you handed to me on Saturday, and which appear to be grounded on the letter from the Secretary of War to Jonathan Jackson Esq authorising his appointment to attend the Troops on Pigwacket, and presented to you for settlement, in consequence of my letter to M^r Jackson under the 17 Ult^o again return they must here be observed, that the accounts of this nature as well as others under the denomination of services & Contingencies of the War Department, have been [strikethrough: usually] refused to you for settlement by law, not from analogy of [strikethrough: principle] & the convenience of the Department. it appears desirable that they should pursue the same course of liquidation, with all other army accounts; that settlement to be effected by you should embrace all charges & allowances which an officer may be entitled for by law, or other proper authority. for it would certainly tend to divide the account & thereby create confusion on their entry on the Books of this Office, if one part of them should be settled in your office, & the other taken up for settlement in this. — I therefore return you the account with a copy of my letter to M^r Jackson above mentioned, & request that you take the proper steps towards their settlement. I am &^c W. S.