The Hon^ble M. Gen^l Knox Secretary at War Philadelphia Aug^t [undecipherable] Dear Sir I have been honoured with your letter of the 5 [undecipherable] and in answer inclose a return of the persons employed in the department of Quarter M. General. I should have been solicitous to have done this sooner; but M^r Hodgsen informed me you intended to be in Philadelphia. I thought it might be postponed till you arrived. I am employed with my Clerk in fettling accounts which are daily presented, and paying those debts for which money has been granted. I have not named M^r David Rolf[undecipherable] in the return because he has not been uniformly engaged [undecipherable] in the Business of the department, as nothing [undecipherable] to be done by him but to fettle his accounts with [undecipherable] and to [undecipherable] which. I daily expect his account here agreeable to his advise. Col. [undecipherable] intended also to be here this month for the same purpose. M^r [undecipherable] [undecipherable] at West Point and no explanation. By M. Hodgsen, which of these which he laid before you at New York — you well to hire are some amongst them a book keeper to the Q. M. department, but they are now too few to require separate offices but look after them, and the other occasional entries are not sufficient to require [undecipherable] [undecipherable] assistants. [undecipherable] order me [undecipherable]. But it [undecipherable] to be raised and kept up, a [undecipherable] from [undecipherable] — [undecipherable] more to them [undecipherable] and [undecipherable] [undecipherable] as well as [undecipherable] [undecipherable] and on this service are [undecipherable] [undecipherable]. [undecipherable] Hodgsen perhaps you will [undecipherable] expressed that in conversation. Most of the [undecipherable] to receive the emoluments he receives from the [undecipherable] department. I do hope to get discharged of [undecipherable] accounts before [undecipherable] but I am [undecipherable] perhaps [undecipherable] eight months longer and necessarily be employed about them and in paying and [undecipherable] with those who have demands against the department. I am with great respect Y^r Sir [undecipherable] most Ob^t Servant Tim Pickering A Return of Persons employed in the Quarter Master General's Department — May 1. 1793 [undecipherable column headers] Timothy Pickering Q.M. Gen^l [undecipherable] [undecipherable] Dep[undecipherable] [undecipherable] Geo. S. [undecipherable: Denniston] [undecipherable] at West Point 30 (for horses) 8 [undecipherable] M^r. [undecipherable] at [undecipherable] West Point [undecipherable] James Milton [undecipherable: Laborer] at West Point 4 [undecipherable] Col. Edward Carrington Q.M.G. [undecipherable] Army 125 [undecipherable] [undecipherable] Capt. Henry [undecipherable] [undecipherable] Col. Carrington [undecipherable] his accounts [undecipherable] pay [undecipherable] advanced [undecipherable] informed of James [undecipherable] Harvey [undecipherable] at [undecipherable] [undecipherable] To the Hon^ble [undecipherable] Sec^y of War Tim Pickering [undecipherable]