Caleb Swan Esq^r &c. P. Mr. G. Sir Accountants Office May 20^th 1800 I observe in the accounts rendered by you as Pay Master General that payments have been made to Brig^r Gen^l Wilkinson, for double rations as Commandant of the Western Posts. On reference to the Law allowing double rations to Officers commanding seperate Posts, it is provided that the Brigadier General while Commander in Chief, shall receive double the number of Rations [strikethrough: to] which he would otherwise be entitled. From the construction of this Law I am clearly of opinion that when the Brigadier General ceased to be Commander in Chief; that he was no longer entitled to receive double rations. Under this impression I conceive it proper that a deduction should take place, of the amount of double Rations received by Brig^r Gen^l Wilkinson as Commandant, from and after the time he ceased to be Commander in Chief. The amount you will ascertain and cause the same to be deducted from the Pay of the General, as it may become due. It may be proper at the same time to inform you that in conformity with the opinion of the Comptroller of the Treasury expressed in his letter to the Secretary of War dated the 23 January last, on the subject of double rations, that I have applied to the Secretary of War, to state the period when Brig^r Gen^l Wilkinson ceased to be Commander in Chief, & consequently ceased to be entitled to double Rations. that altho' the Secretary of War in his letter to me dated the 17 Instant, has express'd it as his private opinion that the General is entitled to double rations; yet as he has in the same letter declined a decision, I have therefore conceived it proper to cause the aforementioned deduction to take place on the opinion I before expressed. It will however be understood that this decision may be over ruled by the Secretary of War if he shall agreeably to the Comptrollers letter before mentioned, designate the same in writing by explicitly stating in favor of the allowance — Sam &c. W. S.