that his Salary would be 1000 Dollars p annum & 4 rations p day or the value thereof, to be computed at the [undecipherable] price at the [undecipherable] for [undecipherable] — no claim for rations has been [undecipherable] yet credited. Notwithstanding of he has not drawn them nor received payment in lieu thereof from the United States through any of its agents he considers [undecipherable] to compensation therefore from the 29 Aug^t 1796. (the day the allowance was granted to [the] 23 February 1799. the date of his resignation) and which is all that in my opinion, he can reasonably have a claim to. As I have been so unfortunate as to differ with the secretary [undecipherable] in opinion on several [undecipherable] similar to this one under consideration, and the claimant having in consequence been dissatisfied with my decision, I have been thus [undecipherable] in offering my opinion [undecipherable] this claim under the hope that the facts may be submitted to some other authority, and I informed to what extent [undecipherable] authority in adhering to my opinion in this case — M. To the Secretary Greenleafs Office Albany [undecipherable] 1802 I certify that there is due to William Smith contractor at Springfield Armory the sum of fifty three dollars & [undecipherable] [undecipherable] being [undecipherable] for rations [undecipherable] allowed to the Officers & [undecipherable] at Springfield Armory, made in Oct and 1 Dec^r 1799, which sum is to be transmitted to [undecipherable] Jackson [undecipherable] [undecipherable] who by him paid to the [undecipherable] for Smith — M. [Press 17] The Sec^y of War