Statement of differences on settlem^t of the acc^t of M^r Crafts — Balance due The United States p^r his statement ........ $ 4886.7 Balance due The U.S. p^r Settlement in the Accountants Office .... 10159.92 Difference D^r. 5272.85 Accounted for as follows .... viz^t To the amount of his drafts for $1000, $1200, $2001.48 paid but not embraced in his acc^t being drawn after the date of his account ............. making ............. D^r 4201.48 To the amount of Commissions charged by him, suspended on last settlement, still suspended, the Secretary of War not having decided on the Compensation to be allowed D^r .... 942.1. To the amount Comm^s charged in his present acc^t suspended for same reason .............. 130.36 1072.3[undecipherable] Department of War $ 5272.85 Accountants Office March 14^th 1800 The President of the Accountants Office United States March 15^th 1800 Sir In obedience to your request of Yesterday in consequence of my verbal communication to you on the subject of allowances made by the Secretary of War, I do myself the honor to hand you herewith, copies of the letters of the Secretary & my Reports on the claims of sundry persons whose accounts have been lately, under consideration; the allowance of which I am of opinion is inadmissible upon any other principles than those pointed out in my said Reports — As this opinion is opposite to that of the Secretary of War, who deems the authority vested in him competent to their allowance I have taken the liberty to enclose to you Sir, for perusal, and request a decision thereon, which shall govern me in those cases as well as others which may occur of a like nature — Sam &c [signature] List of papers referred to in the preceding letter — N^o: 1 Letter from the Secretary of War dated 24 Jan^y 1800, to The Accountant of the War Department on the subject of the claim of Brig^t. Gen^l. M^c. Pherson — 2 Letter from the Accountant dated 6 Februa^y 1800. in reply — 3 Letter from the Sec^y of War to the Account^t. 7 Feb^y. — in reply — 4 Letter from the Accountant to the Sec^y .... 8 .... in reply. 5 Letter from the Secretary to the Accountant dated Dec^r 12^th 1799, on the subject of the claim of Doc^t. Charles Brown —. 6. Letter from the Accountant to the Secretary dated Feb^y 6 — in reply. 7. Letter from the Secretary to the Accountant, dated Feb^y 7 — in reply — 8. Report of the Accountant dated 8 March 1800, on the claim of Doctor Brown — 9. Report of the Accountant dated March 12^th 1800, on the claim of Silas Dinsmoor late a Temporary Indian Agent — Cap^ts. J. M. Patterson Accountants Office Union farms near Elizabethtown March 15^th 1800 New Jersey — Sir On settlement of the accounts of M^r Colfax, contractor, it appears that on the 6 June 1799 you have drawn 2 rations for each of 24 Recruits (on separate returns) altho' entitled but to one Ration each. The Pay master General will therefore be directed to hold you accountable for three dollars & eighty eight cents, being the Value of 24 Rations overdrawn, as above at the contract price of 16 Cents 1½ mills & tax — It will readily be conceived that such irregularities tend to produce an unnecessary encrease to the duties of my office & which I trust you will in future be carefull to avoid — I am Sir, Your obed^t. Serv^t. [signature]