The Secretary of War December 29^th 1800 Sir In answer to your note of this morning enclosing the petition of Cap.^t William Rickard which was referred to you by the Hon.^ble Nathan.^l Macon of the Committee of Claims for the purpose of obtaining information relative thereto, - I can only observe that Cap.^t Rickard was appointed Pay master to the Troops in the Territory South of the Ohio on the 24 of October 1794, and that he continued to act in that capacity up to the 17.^th of April 1796 at a salary of 20 dollars P^r month, in addition to his pay & emoluments as a Captain in the line of the Army; that the payments made by him were to a considerable amount, and were made under the immediate inspection of the Agent for the Department of War: that he attended at this Office in September 1800, for the final settlement of his accounts, and every charge & allowance was made to him that law or established regulations of this Department would authorize, and the balance found due was paid to him on the 11.^t September 1800 including his pay & emoluments as a Captain in the 3.^d Regiment of Infantry up to the 31 Aug.^t 1800. I have also to observe that Cap.^t Rickard was dissatisfied with my statement by rejecting the charges now contended for that the Laws of the United States gave him an appeal to the Comptroller of the Treasury - I am &c W.S.