[To Capt. Houdin] [Philadelphia 2 Mas.] [April 27. 1784] [Copied] Office of Army Accounts April 23. 1784 Attest I certify the accounts of Major [undecipherable] in the second Massachusetts Reg[iment] the following certificates, dated Dec. 1. 1783 — viz: N°652 for one hundred & twenty Dollars, 90/90 on Interest from August 1.1780, being for the Depreciation on his subsistence up to that time — N°653 for four hundred and thirty four D 57/90 dols on Interest from July 1. 1782 — being the balance due to him at that time [strikethrough: in 1781 from any] [undecipherable] for pay & subsistence 1782 — N°654 for four hundred dols being the balance of his pay in 1782 and on Interest from July 1. 1783 — N°655 for three hundred & twenty Dols on Interest from July 1. 1784 being the balance of his pay in 1783 — and numbers 3656 for one hundred & ten dols, 3657 for one thousand four hundred & ninety Dols and 3658 for seven hundred & sixty dols. These last mentioned three certificates are on Interest from July 1784 and the balance of the five years pay granted by Congress in lieu of half pay for the — [strikethrough: the foregoing certificates, Major Houdin, who is a foreigner] [strikethrough: that] A Resolve of Congress of January 22^d 1784 appears to have granted to the foreigners, particularly specified in the Resolve, a part of their pay in money to relieve them from their present embarrassments and enable them in America to return to their native country — but those officers who served in the line of a particular State were not mentioned, the [embarrassments] therein the same wants and circumstances were the same — that the Superintendent of Finance actually paid to the Officers mentioned in said resolves months pay in real money and took up [undecipherable] amount in their securities issued by [undecipherable] — [strikethrough: that] (Col. Morillan & [undecipherable] Boys) That the French Officers, who served and were incorporated in the Pennsylvania Lines, and in the same circumstances with Major Houdin, petitioned the legislature of Pennsylvania & obtained a grant of a sum of money on the principles which appears to have influenced Congress in their grant of [undecipherable] [strikethrough: above mentioned] [undecipherable] to the other French Officers — That Major Houdin, has been very unfortunate in the loss of some part of his before mentioned securities, the evidence for which he has produced, and is from his long service in this country [strikethrough: appear] and his present very reduced situation, I believe fully [strikethrough: and justly believe really] & deserve entitled him to every consideration, that has been granted to the other foreigners who [strikethrough: are] have [undecipherable] contested, but as he is an Officer of the Massachusetts [undecipherable], the [undecipherable] has [undecipherable] State. I suppose his application ought to be made to his State, [Congress] [strikethrough: which is] — in therefore now acting in this Legislature for that [undecipherable] [undecipherable] matter [undecipherable] consideration [undecipherable] I doubt not