[156] Pay Office Dear Sir, New York, Dec. 15. 1785 In answer to your letter of the [undecipherable]^th Instant, I have to inform you that the Certificates of Col. Pickering are not cancelled in this Office, and that you have reinclined the one sent— apprehending Mr. Denning, Commissioner for the department would have done it I made the application, but am informed that he is not authorised to do it.— Mr. Denning is clearly of opinion, that your Certificate comes under the Notice of Mr. Stelle, as no part of the debt is for pay, and becomes due previous to 1^st January 1783. Mr. Denning has exhibited a charge against you of 1313.17.5 Lawful money, on Clothing delivered your regiment, between the months of April & October 1776— can you give any information whether this sum was deducted from the pay of the regiment & if it has been accounted for— I beg your answer as soon as possible, as the Books stands open, and while so the charge will appear against you. The Three Months pay drawn for you by Colonel Chambers, was credited by him, in an account examined by me in Dec. 1780, there appeared a large balance due from Col. Chambers, which balance has not been paid into the Treasury of the United States, consequently the account is not closed, which will prevent me from issuing you a Certificate for the pay of those months— indeed I ever thought it a private transaction, and reluctantly admitted his crediting the sum; knowing if the balance had been paid at the time the account was examined, you would have only received the nominal sum (about four dollars Specie) this induced me on settling the regimental account, to retain from him the sum of five hundred Dollars, which sum is still in the hands of the public— if you could settle this matter with Colonel Chambers, I think it would be to your advantage Joseph Howell Gen^l Edward Hand