[21] Cap^t James Bruff Douglas [undecipherable] for Accountants Office March 23^d 1800 I have received your letter dated the 10^th [undecipherable: inst] and the Secretary of War [undecipherable] me [undecipherable] to [undecipherable] of the forms I sent, enclosing your account of expenses and the [undecipherable] of them [undecipherable] I required me to take [undecipherable] therein. The first account I have [undecipherable: referred] to him under the 2^d article of the Regulations respecting [undecipherable] allowances to Officers for his [undecipherable] which when [undecipherable] I [undecipherable] about the [undecipherable] Officers Herein and the latter I shall [undecipherable] for the present upon the following principles, Regulations given by the Secretary of [undecipherable] I find that each Captain shall be entitled to one room, and each [undecipherable] one room. That no compensation in money is to be made in lieu of allowance of this kind nor any compensation to be made [undecipherable] or paid to officers in lieu of Quarters or Barracks, but this [undecipherable] is not [undecipherable] to prohibit [undecipherable] or any Officer for reimbursement who has [undecipherable: heretofore] been obliged to hire quarters when none were provided at any post or Barracks where he was stationed. [undecipherable] each case justice requires a reasonable reimbursement - the charge you make of 20 Dollars appears to me not only [undecipherable] [undecipherable] extravagant for four months rent of two rooms (the number [undecipherable] for generally I [undecipherable] is [undecipherable]!) I shall therefore disallow the charge