[16] M^r Isaac Halsted, his Contracts, Portsmouth N Jersey Sir Accountants Office March 6^th 1800 I have received your letter with the 34 [undecipherable] returns Three accounts against you as Contractor for stores and supplies furnished by directions of the [undecipherable] late Government of the U.S. [undecipherable] [undecipherable]. I would give [undecipherable] to [undecipherable] [undecipherable] relate to his account which were transmitted to this office for settlement, and requires the settlement of them in written forms which I described — as some of the expenditures were of a nature which when you [undecipherable] present I return the accounts to you that they may be [undecipherable] to have, and each part of them as come within any instructions he had may be included in his account, & presented to this Office. It may be necessary on the [undecipherable] here to inform you that expenditures in the Quarter Master & Hospital Departments are of a nature which require the strictest scrutiny, & the best authenticated Vouchers therefore will be required here on examination. The Bills of particulars, & copies of the parties will in all cases be [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] for procuring the articles most [undecipherable] them, which will consist of the order of the Colonel, or other Commanding Officer. Sam^l [undecipherable] [initials] Samuel Hodgdon Esq^r March 6 1800 For settlement of the account of John Montress [undecipherable] of Transactions at the [undecipherable] [undecipherable], he has [undecipherable] a [undecipherable] of the Books of this office for the following articles — Viz 2 Blankets [undecipherable] of [undecipherable] August [undecipherable] — [undecipherable] — [undecipherable] 1.89 1 Matress [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] — [undecipherable] 7.74 [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] — [undecipherable] [undecipherable] 2.114 1 [undecipherable] [undecipherable] hand [undecipherable] [undecipherable] — [undecipherable] .19[undecipherable] 1 [undecipherable] [undecipherable] hand [undecipherable] [undecipherable] — [undecipherable] .41 [undecipherable] 67.75