Sir War Department 7 February 1800 I have received your letter of the 6 instant in answer to mine of the 12 December ultimo. In that letter you was desired "to instruct Doctor Brown what vouchers or evidence were necessary to be produced to entitle his claim to be considered and acted upon." You state that the Doctors "account is for compensation for his attendance on sick Indians in the Western Country from the 14 November 1794 to the 5 July 1799 including an extra charge of one hundred and fifty dollars for attending the Indians during the treaty at Greenville, within the same period amounting to the sum of six hundred dollars, he also charges house rent at Detroit for the purpose of attending the sick Indians the sum of Two hundred and^2/5 fifty dollars, the whole amounting to eight hundred and fifty dollars, these charges are stated to be by agreement made with General Wayne and Gen^l Wilkinson but no agreements appear." To this you add "The whole of Doct. Browns claim being for Extra charges over and above the allowances fixed by Law, Therefore if any part can be admitted it must be done by the direction of the Secretary of War, - I am therefore at a loss what vouchers to direct Doctor Brown to produce that would [strikethrough: enable you to determine f... the principles of h...] claim." It does not strike me, that the apparent declining upon your part to comply with my requisition is regular or proper; there should have been no hesitation. I renew the requirement which was plainly meant and intended to impose upon you as accountant of the War Department the duty of instructing Doct. Brown as to the kind of evidence and vouchers which would be proper for him to produce to entitle his charge to be considered or admitted. The admitting or rejecting of his claim will depend upon the nature of the facts & vouchers which he can adduce in their support. These must of course be exhibited; after which it will be proper for me to consider the case. A Surgeon of a Regiment strictly speaking is not obliged by his functions to give his attendance to other than the sick of his regiment, or the sick of an hospital or sick of the troops to which he may be attached. If called upon to perform services to sick Indians by the authority of his superior officer or commander of the army, and promised a certain compensation the proofs are to be exhibited as well of the performance of the service as the quantum of compensation promised, or if the latter was left open he will be entitled only to equitable compensation depending on circumstances. If in the execution of this duty he is obliged to hire a house, the fact of his having hired it ought in some way or other to be authenticated, and some testimony or voucher produced [strikethrough: to sh... th...] rent, agreed for it, and what rent has been actually paid, or the amount of personal responsibility incurred in consequence. You will give to Doctor Brown such instructions as must be familiar to an accountant, respecting the proofs or vouchers in your opinion necessary to support his claim; when he has produced those he is possessed of, or can obtain, you will report the whole to me for my decision, as well on their validity, as that of the claim at large. I am Sir Your Obedient Servant James McHenry [letter from the Sec^y of War on the account of Doctor Brown dated 7 Feb^y 1800] The Accountant of the War Department