[Accountants Office May 1^st 1800] Cap^t Abm^l R. Ellery M^r Maj^r Genl New York &c Sir Your letter [dated the 19 Ult]^is is received and on enquiry I find the amounts therein allowed to us out the Office of the Secretary of War, but no expenses of them has been made to me by him. From the nature of the accounts I think it proper to inform you that the not receive myself authority to admit the charges which are made for allowances to Officers for doing duty in the Adj^t Gen^ls Office over & above the allowances granted by law to those Officers, according to their respective ranks in the army, until some principle thereon shall be established to govern in the rule by which authority shall be established for making such allowances to Officers I cannot [undecipherable] to admit them should they be reported to me for Settlement. Sam &c [initialed] Nath^l F. Fosdick Collector Portland M^e Sir May 2^nd 1800 I receive your letter dated the 29 Ult^o enclosing the receipt of Jon^h Pratt, bearer, for money [undecipherable] of you, which will be entered on the Books of this Office. Sam as &c.