any advances to Mess^rs Ruggles &C^o: Contractors, I can only say that it remains for them to comply as far as practicable with my letter to them of the 18 Ult: so far as it relates to post supplies, & therefore to forward their accounts & Vouchers to this Office for Settlement, when they shall be considered & acted upon, & such balance as may be found due will be remitted without delay — I am &c. W.S. P.S. The Sec^y of War has issued a Warrant in your favor for seven thousand Dollars which will be transmitted to you by the Treasurer of the United States on account of the Fortifications for which you will transmit the necessary receipts — [horizontal line] The Sec^y of War Accountant's Office Sir April 18 1800 In conformity with your letter to me dated the 10^th Dec^r last, stating an extract [undecipherable] to you from Major Gen^l Hamilton dated the 25 Nov^r — wherein you direct that I should, from time to time, report to you such abuses committed by particular Officers involving the irregular expenditure of money, as may appear in my Office from the exhibit of their accounts or otherwise; that the same may be referred to the proper Military Commandants — I have to State: that from the accounts of the Contractor for the State of New York it appears that Cap^tn Andrew White of the 12^th U. S. Regiment. has granted to the Contractor's agent at Stillwater, his certificates for 3 or 400 Rations more than his Detachment were entitled to. This appears to have arisen by his having granted several returns to the Contractor in each of which the same Rations have been included, and in consequence of which they have been twice charged to the United States, and in some instances three times. To enable the Sec^y of War more fully to judge of the subject I inclose herewith copies of the Vouchers marked N^o 1 to 5, the originals of which are charged in & filed with the Contractor's accounts. I do not conceive it necessary to add any observations of mine on the subject as the Secretary of War will no doubt direct the proper measures to be pursued which the subject requires — I am &c W.S. [horizontal line] Lieu^t. Coll^o Tho^s Butler Accountant's Office South West Point, Tennessee April 18^th 1800 Sir Agreeably to the opinion I offered on your claim of double rations as Commandant, when you were at this Office I have stated an account in which you are charged with the amount you received from M^r Chandler, on that account agreeably to a statement I have received from him and have added the balance remaining due from the former statement, from which has been deducted the amount of your pay, Subsistence & Forage for the months of July, Aug^t & Sept^r 1799 not credited in that Statement, it having been placed in the hands of the Pay master. leaving a balance of Dol^rs 436.31 due by you to the United States; This sum you may either refund to M^r Henley or he will stop the amount out of your Pay &c as it has, or may become due; I have written to him to this effect & he will be prepared in either case to act. I inclose you a copy of the statement above referred to for your information. The Principle which was to have been fixed by The Secretary of War, to govern in the allowance of double Ration has not yet taken place — I am &c W.S. P.S. You will according to the foregoing letter & the former Statement observe that all your Pay Forage &c has been settled up to 28 Feb^y 1800 inc: so that your Pay &c will commence on the 1 March 1800 —