[Gen. M'Pherson] Mr. Simmons Esqr. Acct. War Dept. Philadelphia February 5.^th 1800 Sir The abstract which I sent you in on the 3^d amounting to 232 ³²/100 Dolls being for Sundry Stores Liquors &c which were furnished by Benj. W. Morris for the use of Gen. Macpherson & Suite on the Expedition to Northampton is correct as to the amount, and was ordered to be paid for at the time by Gen. Wilkins then here upon a conviction (considering the emergency of the occasion) of its being a proper charge, and conformable to what had been thought so on the Expedition to the Westward in '94 — Upon looking over the papers of Capt. Vance Ass. Quarter Master on that Expedition I find an abstract of issues of Forage for General Macpherson & Suite which I now enclose you — This Abstract comprehends all forage issued to himself, his Aids Mess. Williams & Harper the Brigade Major, Capt. McClellan, and the General and Mr. Harper's servant — General Macpherson had no Public Horse neither had Mr. Williams, but Mr. Harper and servant as well as Capt. McClellan rode Horses of the United States — Mr. Fitzgraves has a Public Horse and left this City with the Gen. and consequently used part of the forage mentioned in the abstract after being out some days he left him and joined the Judiciary who had forage issued them seperately — This abstract if I am correctly informed contains the forage for 6 Horses the whole of the time of the Expedition and on some part of it there was 7 Horses — It was also found necessary to have Expresses at hand who used this forage — With respect to the articles mentioned for Gen. Macpherson [in] Voucher N. 3 paid to Samuel Williams these consisted merely of Cooking, and other utensils purchased of Passmore and which the General having required as necessary, were paid for by this Department and on return of the Troops were sent to the D. M. Gen. Office, there was some of these articles worn out or lost on the Expedition p^r Acct now rendered you amounting to 15 ¹⁵/100 D. the remainder have been sent into the Public Stores and for your satisfaction I also inclose you Harriss receipt for them amounting to 54 ⁴⁵/100 D. it remains therefore for you to determine whether the United States must lose those articles that were not returned or whether Gen. Macpherson must pay for them, I confess the latter would be a hard case, and that if upon inquiry they have been found to be necessary, in my humble opinion this decision ought not to take place — Some other charges which you pointed out such as quarters for the General on the Expedition are merely those for the use of a Room or Rooms in country Houses where they were obliged to stay a day or two and [undecipherable] to make some compensation to the owners — There is nothing like a charge for Provisions or any expences at Public Houses included in any of the Vouchers sent you in, it being the Contractors business to have them supplied where ever they went — I am Sir Your very [undecipherable] [signature] Ag^t. D. M. G^r. There is no seperate abstract for forage issued to Gen. M^cPherson himself, as I can obtain amongst Capt. Vanes papers — Mr. Simmons Esq^r. Sec^t. War Dept.