War Department January 23d 1800 James McHenry received same day on the subject of the accounts transmitted by Captain Staat Morris - for Rent & attendance on sick, at Fort McHenry War Department The Accountant of the W. Dept. War Department, Jany 23rd 1800 Sir, A letter to me from Capt. Staats Morris the Commandant at Fort McHenry, dated the 18th instant, together with two accounts therein enclosed, one of them for six months Rent of a Room occupied by I. Foncin, an Engineer employed at that post; the other for compensation to a Matron for five months attendance on sick Soldiers, during which time several of the patients had the Yellow Fever, were sent to you yesterday with my endorsement on the letter, directing, “that if other Vouchers were necessary to substantiate the Charges for Barrack Room, and servicing the Sick, you should require them, and when obtained report the Sums due for payment.”
Some time after a paper was exhibited to me, containing an Account stated, for the Rent of a Room occupied by the Engineer for five months with a note annexed, in the words following, “the above account being of a Contingent nature, it is therefore necessary that the same should be sanctioned by the Secretary of War, to know whether the whole or any part thereof is to be admitted to the debit of the United States, in order that the proper entries may be made on the Books of this Office, and a Warrant issued for the Sum admitted” - this note has your Signature, and is dated Accountant’s Office.
As you do not appear to have acted on the account of the Matron at all I shall refer you back to the directions, of my endorsement on Capt. Morris’s letter letter, respecting both accounts. That indorsement is a sufficient Sanction on my part of just and reasonable charges, for the objects specified in the Accounts, but it must be considered, that as has been heretofore required respecting Charges for quarters of Officers, where none were provided by Officer, ^the public, it is your duty to ascertain the reasonableness of the charges for Rent - to report the Sum your enquiries shew to be just, and which consequently ought to be paid.
With respect to the compensation of the Matron, for servicing the Sick - I suppose it will be proper to follow the provisions of the 3rd Section of “An Act to regulate the Medical Establishment,” as far as under present circumstances it will apply. You will therefore require the Surgeon or Doctor at the Garrison, to fix the compensation of the Nurse, if not deemed too high, it can be [admitted?], otherwise it can be controuled. I am Sir, Your obedt servant, James McHenry The Accountant of the War Department.