Lieut Philip Landais Fort Mc Henry near Baltimore Sir Accountants Office January 13^th 1801. Your letter of the 5^th Instant I received yesterday, & from its extraordinary contents I intended taking no notice thereof- but when I find that it contains assertions founded on error I could not pass it over without shewing that you have undertaken to find fault without understanding the subject. You state that your claim for Stage hire & expences at Harpers ferry while attending a Court Martial is the same as was allowed to Capt. Morris: On this you are erroneously informed,- no allowance has been made to Capt. Morris or any other officer of that Court for expences while attending there, as Harpers Ferry is considered a Military Post & Capt^r Morris's claim for Stage hire was also rejected as he travelled in his own Chaise, and the regulations of the Secretary of War forbids any allowance without proof being made that the sum charged was actually paid for Stage hire. The account you forwarded in your letter of the 19^th October last has been handed to Lieut. House Pay master 1^st Reg^t of A & E who you should have known was the proper person to pay such claims and who will settle such part as Law or Regulations will admit. The back Rations which you state to be due while a Cadet cannot be paid here- No Law or Regulations will permit the payment of money in lieu of Rations to a Cadet for the period you charge- The same objection exists to the claim for clothing; you should have received your clothing as other non Commissioned Officers did on a Return of your Commanding Officer.- Thus you will find that the claim you have magnified as of so much consequence, will dwindle down to a mere trifle & that trifle improper to be settled in my Office.- I shall now dismiss the subject with the request that you will be more cautious in your language & less free in casting censure- particularly on subjects of this kind. I am &c W.S.