War Department, April 7. 1800. Sir, M^r Mackay late Storekeeper &^c at Harpers Ferry informs me that his accounts are still depending before you, and that he is detained in Philadelphia from that cause. He states, the objection you make to settling his accounts to be, "a Warrant issued by the Secretary of War in favor of William Small for One hundred and ninety Dollars chargeable to his Account, of which he was duly advised by you, and desired to make Small account [strikethrough: to] for the same." It appears that Small left this city to join the Armory in December 1798, that your letter to M^r Mackay was dated the 9^th and did not reach him till the 21^st Feb^y, after which he made no payment to Small except one months wages to keep him and his family from starving, and that he has retained his months' pay for April 1799. It appears further, that Smalls Services for the Armory commenced the 13^th of August 1798 and ended the 5^th of May 1799; although he did not arrive at the Armory before and was not placed on the Pay Roll till the 11^th of Dec^r 1798, consequently Small is entitled to a credit for five months' pay at the rate of Forty Dollars per month, exclusive of Rations and Travelling Expences. From this view of the credits to which Small is entitled, the Public can suffer no injury by releasing M^r Mackay from any responsibility, should he be responsible, and by charging Small with the amount of the Warrant in question. You will be pleased to do so and to credit Small with the months' pay retained from him by M^r Mackay and his pay from the time he was taken into the Service of the Armory on the 13^th August 1798, till the time he was entered on the Armory pay Roll by M^r Mackay, viz. the 11^th Dec^r 1798. I am Sir, Your obed^t Servant, James McHenry The Accountant of the War Department. [Endorsement on cover, written diagonally: direct the Accountant for $190 [undecipherable] that all [undecipherable] to be [undecipherable] to John [undecipherable] to [undecipherable] the credit of the letter] [Address panel: The Accountant of the War Dept., War Department]