New York June 23^d 1786 I have to Acknowledge the receipt of your Letter of the 16 Inst^t and have attended to the Claims you have made in behalf of Col^o John Stirk the Regiment to which he belonged being paid by the State, it is not in my power to determine what deficiencies may yet be remaining to be granted to him. The Supposition is that he as well as the Agent drew their pay regularly as it became due and nothing now remains but the depreciation which agreeably to the regulation of Cong^s cannot be made up being out of the Service prior to any promise of that Nature. I cannot therefore determine on the former untile I have the Certificates that respect the Regimental pay and the Latter my instructions do not warrant to admit. I am now in hopes that the month of October or November to see you in Georgia — I am J.P. Col^o Stirk Dear Sir Office of Army Accounts New York June 17 1786 Your Letter of the 6 Instant together with Your Vouchers & papers are Arrived in Safety. The Certificates sent on are agreeable to your Letter that is I have received 269 — and Certificates now Joined 33 Joined Wrong taken in and Joined and the Margins of Certificates from 87.401 to 88.450 — I find however that you have entered in your Register N^o 87.415. as never Issued by you and you have paid the same on the Margin of the Certificates against that Number which makes one more blank which ought to have been Returned. To give you a Clear Stating of this mistake I have Enclosed you the late Current of your Certificate paper. I have charged you with the Certificates rec^d and also the Blanks left in your Register on the other Side of the Account. I have Enclosed you with your Sent including the Blanks, and then passed to your Credit the Deficits returned. I have examined each Number and found the one deficient to be N^o 87.415. When I go out of Office there will undoubtedly be some person who will be Authorised to receive such demands as may arise in Consequence of Claims lodged with me. it will take a Considerable time however before I can deliver up my Business. If the Widow & Orphan of P^t Lautes cannot Obtain the 7 years half pay from the States, I believe an Application to Congress will be found best as Congress have Committed the whole of this Business to the States and will not interfere in their Arrangements; as it is not my duty to settle this Claim, it will Certainly unless I have a Resolution of Congress directing me, be out of my Power to re-Issue any Certificates. In Luvens a Soldier in Col^o Lee's Corps you have returned as of the quota of Virginia. I find him also as of the Maryland quota — can you find with Certainty whether he Joined his depreciation and pay in the State of Virginia — If the Muster Rolls and Auditors Papers sent