Newburgh Jan'y 10. 1784 Sir You will doubtless recollect, that when I waited on you in the evening of the 11^th Ult^o, respecting my pay as Post Master to the Army, you were pleased in consequence of the small Salary, & being the only person of that department, to promise me the payment of it without forwarding the Accounts to Philad.^a for a Warrant; concluding that you would be sufficiently justified in doing it. M^r Wolfe who lately presented the account for payment, informs me that you could not then pay it, & that you did not know whether you could do it at all; in this case I must beg of you to inform me what method I shall take to obtain it; as for I should think it very hard to be put off with a Certificate after having so fair a promise of pay in Bills at least, if not Cash – If a request, or Order from the Post Master Gen^l will be sufficient. I will thank you to inform me, by a line to be left at the Post Office New York – I am Sir with the greatest respect Your H'ble Serv^t Chris. Meng / [John Pierce Esq^r Pay Master —] [M^r Christoph Meng / Jan^y 15. 1784 / 2 N^o [undecipherable]] War Office [undecipherable] 178[undecipherable] Sir In answer to yours of the 10^th I am obliged to inform you that I misunderstood the nature of your application – as I was then and am now out of money – I thought you requested a settlement of the account & a certificate of the balance – It will therefore be necessary that you apply at Philadelphia to receive the money in the same manner as the rest of your Department. If this method should be disagreeable on obtaining a warrant from the War Office, I will apply for the money. You are sensible that you have obtain'd this extra pay from me no further up than the post of May last – I am Sir with esteem Your Obed^t Serv^t [undecipherable] [Chris^t Meng]