Alexander R. Lawton to L. 'B. Northrop, August 8, 1864

General orders from the Adjutant and Inspector General’s Office have directed quartermasters and commissaries who receive tax in kind directly from producers to give receipts ”on account of tax in kind” at the end of every month for the produce thus received during * Probably of August 5, p. 569. the month, to the quartermaster on tax-in-kind service in the Congressional district where the collection is made, or in his absence to the controlling quartermaster of the State, and to state in said receipts the full name and county of the tax-payer. These instructions have not generally been followed, and in many cases have been entirely neglected. Commissaries and quartermasters will be held to strict compliance with them, both for collections already made, which should be at once receipted for if not already done, and for the future. Compliance is indispensable to the settlement of the accounts of the quartermaster of the Congressional district and of the assessor and collector. Receipts of quartermaster-sergeants and other agents given to producers are unjust impositions on them; they are worthless for the future. The receipts of quartermasters and commissaries and regular tax agents are the only good vouchers. The opinion seems to prevail that tax-in-kind supplies may be used wastefully and without accountability. This is error. Officers are hereby notified that they will be held to the same accountability for this property as for that received from any other source.

A. R. LAWTON,