impositions practised on this State in the settlement of Depreciation Accounts, & which gives me an Opportunity to do Justice to the United States by deducting it from the Arrears due those individuals on the present settlement— The same principle renders the Musts of the four Maryland Companies of the German Regiment necessary, as the Auditor proposes to request a suspension of the Payment of these Certificates at the Treasury, until by the help of the above mentioned Musters he can ascertain their Validity— I have therefore to request you will be so kind as to send them forward. Jos Howell Jr. Jⁿ White ACom Philadelphia March 9. 85 Sir Your several favors of the 14. 28. & 4^th ult. came to hand on Thursday last— The Rolls of [undecipherable] Reg^d [undecipherable] were taken by M^r Dunscomb with those of the Virginia lines, as I cannot lay my hands on them here, you will therefore please to apply to him— if of Sums by the Account of Capt. S Harwoods that the expenditure were chiefly for the recruiting Service, as those Accounts are not connected with any others I would advise you to have this Account dissected and drawn agreeably to the form herewith sent which was the first adopted by Congress by which means the Bounty and Subsistence of each Soldier will be fully shown; so also the Subsistence of himself and Officers. Jobson has charged £ 13. 13. 8 for Board of his Soldiers [undecipherable] Suppose it is for Subsistence, you will observe the allowance of subsis. to the the Soldiers is at 10/ per Week & no more, so, that if this sum exceeds the actual am^t of their Subsistence the diff. will be lost to him— I believe the Field Officers were allowed by Congress to purchase Clothing for their Men in 76 and 77 and a return to be made to the Q^r Mast Gen^l in Order that they might be charged to the Reg^ts and deducted from the allowance granted. If this has been the Case with those charged by Cap^t Howard, there can be no difficulty in settling his account. The latter charge you mention I could wish might be supported by some Voucher can't he get a receipt from the Person he purchased from or a Certificate from one or more Officers of the Actual purchase & delivery of those articles to the men— An Oath I do not like. It is to be wished the Acc may be closed without it as M^r Pierce observed to me on a Similar occasion that was the dernier Resort and must be admitted when nothing Else could be procured. In settling the Old Accounts of Officers for recruiting &c who had not an Opportunity or neglected to present them to the late Auditors of the Army I have reduced the Balances to Specie at the Conti. wort at the time the balance became due, and so in respect to balances that may be due the U. States, the recruiting Service closed about the Mid^le of June 1777 at which time the Money was at 2/3 for one. There is no Credit given to the State of Maryland for Monies advanced to Moylan's Regiment. Any Officer who receives a pension from the State on account of the United States cannot receive Commutation nor does any Soldier receive Gratuity that is allowed a pension. On the Contrary, if an Officer discards his half pay and accepts his Commutation, he is charged with all Monies received on Account of such half pay, and all have been settled by M^r Pierce on this principal. The Letter for M^r Burnell I sent him, heyres to N.Y. probably. There is a P. King returned in Hager's Reg^t of the State of Maryland and but one of that name in said Reg^t. I shall write to Major Lloyd on that Subject, and procure if not already, issued or sold, his Certificates. Therewith you will receive a List of the Men of Hager's Reg^t returned in this Office as a part of the Quota of the State of Maryland— The said State is Credited on the account of s^d Reg^t. Fol. Paid Bartholomew Sheridan............50 Dlls Sundry charges against the Reg^t 856. 60 ditto d^o 4.00 Dolls 1306. 60 The Officers of the late German Reg^t of the State of Maryland who retired and are allowed Commutation agreeably to the Return & Account sent you, are to be settled individually and agreeably there of Pennsylvania I shall settle with. By M^r Green I have sent the Musters of the German Reg^t for March, April, May, June, July & Aug^t. Sep^t. Oct. 1779 also pay Abstracts & Rolls from Nov^r 79 to Dec^r 31. 80 as also the Accounts & Vouchers of Cap^t Vachel Howard— They of you to be careful of your Certificates and Register as more of those mentioned in Wars some time since have made their appearance. John White Esq^r Jo. Howell Jun^r