[156] Pay Office Dear Sir, New York, Dec 15. 1785 In answer to your letter of the 11 instant, I have to inform you that the paymasters of Capt Pickering are not concerned in this Office and thereby you have received the on rent — appointing the Issuing Commissioners for this department would have done it. Luckily the application has been informed that he is not authorized to do so — Mr Denning is clearly of opinion that private Claims comes under the state of [undecipherable] Park, as the bond of the debt is [undecipherable], and becomes due [undecipherable] 1 January 1790. Mr Denning has exhibited a charge a gaming sum of 1383.75 Lawful money on Clothing delivered your regiment between the months of April & October 1779 — can you give any information in this [undecipherable] over delays since the paying the regiment? It has been accounted for — and [undecipherable] your answer as soon as possible as the Books stand open and while so the charge must appear against you. The Three Months Pay drawn for you by [undecipherable: Elam] Chambers was credited by him, as was account [undecipherable] given in Dec. 80, there appeared a large amount due from Chambers which [undecipherable] cannot have been paid into the Treasury of the United States; consequently the account is not closed which must prevent me from [undecipherable] a [undecipherable] for the pay of three months — at best [it] was thought it is a private transaction, and which lately admits the dealings by some knowing of the balance had been paid at the time the amount was recovered, you would have only received The nominal sum of about four dollars lawful. 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 [c] --- [159] Lancaster, December 20. 1785 Dear Sir, Upon settling my [undecipherable] of Pay & Depreciation with Major [undecipherable: Bowen] & Captain Beatty, there was a [stoppage] in one of [undecipherable] or four Hundred Dollars which of the two accounts at present I can [undecipherable] but the Books will inform you, which Major [Bowen] informed me was by your orders — now you being the only person that I can rely upon, to obtain the same for me and that [undecipherable] my affairs with the public, and that [undecipherable] indebted to them, rather did they [owe] some article of my contracting on the use of my company or otherwise which have sometimes been frequently found by past experience — You were the person who settled with me at [undecipherable] and knew what the [undecipherable] being obliged to take [paper] money, it being at that time sold for one for [undecipherable] which [undecipherable] I was [obliged] to [pay] said and known [undecipherable] — You recollect it to [undecipherable] sometime before our march to Virginia, [when] the subject, requesting you to recover a Depreciation for me on the same, and received an answer from you which [undecipherable] to [undecipherable] your memory, in time and the [undecipherable] of business might [have] been carried [undecipherable] — I also [entreat] your attention and [undecipherable] of all other accounts [undecipherable] I had with the Public, reporting that you will draw the amount of the [stoppages] above mentioned together with the interest, and then their [undecipherable] to pay by some safe hands, or leave it [undecipherable] at [undecipherable: Fort Pitt?] or [undecipherable] given down to [Mr. Duncan's] [undecipherable] to be forwarded by [undecipherable] or [undecipherable] — at [undecipherable] you will be most heartily welcome at present, and if you can possibly do any thing else in my favor, I am very [undecipherable] you will use your utmost [undecipherable] to serve one who has [sacrificed] his [undecipherable], constitution, [undecipherable], and almost his life, in defense of his country — the favor shall be thankfully [undecipherable] [2729]