[endorsement: To the President of Congress / May 23 1784 / 1 [undecipherable: referred]] Sir Annapolis May 23 1784 In the course of the settlement I have lately [undecipherable] with the [undecipherable], I have bin frequent applications [undecipherable] for [undecipherable] [undecipherable] accounts, [undecipherable] in [undecipherable] [undecipherable] or [undecipherable] they were not conformable to the established rules [undecipherable] and the [undecipherable] of Congress, as [undecipherable] how [undecipherable] the accounts at the [undecipherable] of unavoidable accidents of the war, [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] acting, my [undecipherable] not appearing to [undecipherable] my [undecipherable] the general [undecipherable] of [undecipherable] until the pleasure of Congress can be known, that I may either report [undecipherable] explicitly, or be extended with further authority to determine upon those [undecipherable], [undecipherable] and [undecipherable] matters of the same nature will probably [undecipherable] on [undecipherable] I [undecipherable] therefore [undecipherable] [undecipherable] Congress will be [undecipherable] & [undecipherable] what I am to [undecipherable] [undecipherable] them. Having had a settlement [undecipherable] to [undecipherable] [undecipherable] the amounts of that [undecipherable], I find from [undecipherable] reports to me now from the information of the [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable], that it will be [undecipherable: impossible?] for me to [undecipherable] any [undecipherable] in the [undecipherable] [undecipherable] of the [undecipherable]. Two [undecipherable] for a [undecipherable] appear [undecipherable] to [undecipherable] the [undecipherable] in the [undecipherable] are of a [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] it [undecipherable] not [undecipherable] to [undecipherable] any [undecipherable] in [undecipherable] of the [undecipherable], that the more men [undecipherable] from one [undecipherable] to another is often that within the [undecipherable] of the [Officer] who [undecipherable] these [undecipherable] any information [undecipherable] any their accounts as the [undecipherable] only [undecipherable] now that those orders [undecipherable] as any information as other out of the [undecipherable] even the [undecipherable] seem [undecipherable] [undecipherable] these new [undecipherable], and I cannot be [undecipherable]. The method proposed therefore is to settle the [Officer's] accounts on his oath or honor, and the [undecipherable] [Corps?] [undecipherable] and [undecipherable] official. From the [Officer's] orders [undecipherable] them — as this method is [undecipherable] with those checks which [undecipherable] I am directed to be [undecipherable] I [undecipherable] to [undecipherable] also a [direction/decision?] on the subject. [undecipherable] the [undecipherable] of the [undecipherable] Army Agents & [undecipherable] were directed to be [chosen/directed?] by this [undecipherable] for the purpose of [settling?] these accounts for [undecipherable] & [undecipherable] [undecipherable] the [undecipherable], those that have been lately employed at the [undecipherable] of [undecipherable] the [certificates?], have been [undecipherable] allowed these [unnecessary?] [salaries] & [undecipherable: Expenses?], but as these [daily?] [undecipherable] were very [undecipherable] [undecipherable] so until these accounts are [undecipherable], they have [undecipherable] one to [undecipherable] these [undecipherable] before [undecipherable] I say and I [undecipherable] that a proper and [agreeable?] allowances may be made to them. I [undecipherable] then to [undecipherable] that Congress will be pleased to take into consideration. The Allowance which shall be made to the two Deputy Paymasters, who have been lately mis-appointed under by me by the authority of Congress, the one for the Northern & the other for the Southern Army. To the President of Congress