[203] [bag] Office of Army Accounts New York December 10^th 1785 Sir On the 10^th day of January last I had the Honor to lay before you as compleat a Return of the Specie due to the Officers of the Virginia Line as the evidence then in my Possession would permit. This return was founded on a principle that M^r Dunscomb who settled with the Virginia Line had charged to the account on which the Officers must receive certificates, the Specie pay of 1782 and 1783 whether it was actually received by him or not and that every advance had also been deducted but having since I made that return revised the accounts on which the settlements of the line were actually made and entered them in the Books of This Office — I find on a careful review that the ballances in specie differ very considerably when ascertained from them settlements — I have therefore made out a return founded on principles which will do justice both to the public and the individuals and which will shew the real sum to be paid to the line — and also a return which will shew the sums which the Officers have received beyond the pay that was due to them, and which ought to be refunded until further demands for subsistence are sufficient to cover them. Honorable Secretary at War Sam^l L. Pierce