[Illegible Text: Some or all of the pages of this file are wholly or in part illegible. We have not been able either to locate a better copy of the document, or to enhance its legibility electronically.] [Address verso: on public [undecipherable]] [John Pierce Esq^re Pay Master [General] Philadelphia West [undecipherable]] [Postmark: [undecipherable] Nov 11 [undecipherable] Philadelphia] [Archival notation: [undecipherable] Clk] D Sir, Richmond August 11, [17]8[undecipherable] You have transmitted to M^r Dunscomb an Account against me for the Debt return'd in the Sales of the Confiscated Store at York Town for the Officers of the fo. Army. I have presented to him the inclosed Acc^t of That Debt for Settlement, which he says he is not Authorised to make with me. I own I do not see the end of transmitting to him the Debt, unless he was authorised to make such a Settlement, as I suppose it was not expected that it was to stand absolutely against me. I however now transmit to You the Account, and wish to be informed how I am to be exonerated from the Debt. The Charge to Col. Pickering will of course be [undecipherable] to him in our Office & I am to account with with him for the application. The Bill lodged with Col. Dart he has doubtless transmitted to you, for which I have his receipts. The Charge of [undecipherable]. I apprehend there can be no Objection to, as and was to be [undecipherable] in the circumstances under who the business was done, and I had neither fee nor reward for doing it, I must be exonerated from it, or by allowing me the usual Commission, you will enable me to bear the loss. I was not with the Army when the distribution was made, but am confident that the person who did it took great care to do it well. Several Officers of [undecipherable] Virginia Line who did not receive the 4 Months [undecipherable] at the beginning of [1]783 have lodged with me a [undecipherable] on [undecipherable] be pleased to inform me whether you will pay them to any person to whom I may send the orders. M^r Stobly was the Paymaster through whose hands this business was [undecipherable] to pass, but he has done nothing in it for some time, and unless the money can be obtained on the officers own orders, I am certain they will not get it at all. Indeed several have already received it from you as I am informed. I am D Sir Yr. Aff^t Serv^ts [undecipherable: probable reading P. Carrington] To M^r Pierce P[ay] M[aster] G[eneral]