New York November 16^th 1786 Sir, Your Letter of the 4^th Instant, has come to hand. I can with cheerfulness give my Approbation of Your integrity, zeal and Ability in Office. and from your long acquaintance with business of a Public nature I can with Confidence recommend you as a Person better calculated than any other for a station wherein a Knowledge of the general business of the United States is necessary as well as that of Accounts. John White Esq^r. I am [signature] New York Nov.^r 23^d 1786 Sir, In answer to your letter of the 15^th Instant, I must inform you that your claim cannot be taken up, except by the direction of Congress and that it is subject to some difficulties — the time of your being made a prisoner and last drew pay and rations is not ascertained by any Vouchers — and the date of your exchange as appears by the records of the Commissary of Prisoners. was on the 27^th of September 1777 much earlier than you state in your account — you will be entitled to only the [underline: nominal] pay in the time of depreciation, the state of Pennsylvania having undertaken to make up the depreciation. and in respect to your rations those of 1776 may be cut off by a resolve of January 30^th 1779 — It will be necessary to clearly prove that it was totally out of your power to make the application in time and that you had not the means of gaining information that an act existed limiting the claims of the Army — or you will not succeed in Congress — Doct^r Hugh Hodge I am & [&c] a Pierce New York November 27^th 1786 Dear Sir, You stand charged as having received, I think, about three hundred & Twenty livres for contingencies. the auditors want your account & vouchers for these contingences otherwise they say this sum must be set against your pay — If You produce vouchers for the purchase of certain swords; but do not inform where you received the money for them — if you are credited you ought to stand charged also with the money which was advanced you by the public — the Auditors wish therefore to be informed, that they may state your account aright in this article of your accounts — You charge your salary at 4.000 dollars P^r annum only. the resolves of Congress the Auditors say give you One Thousand Pound Sterling. They—