and I believe the charges in almost every instance to be proper, and as I have had M^r. [undecipherable] account here before me, I have by them prevented any double charges — I am of opinion that the projected arrangement for settling the federal accounts will be dropped, and that it is possible the old one will be substituted in its stead — I am &c JP Andrew Dunscomb Esq^r. Honorable Office of Army Accounts Board of Treasury New York March 13^th 1797 Gentlemen In pursuance of the directions of your honorable Board, I have made an inquiry into the claims of Colonel Mentges as stated in his petition of the 28 Ult^o and find — That Colonel Mentges claims a compensation for his extra services while superintending the Hospitals in Virginia, from November 5^th 1781 to March 28^th 1782 — That he has produced in support of such claim a charge of the late Commander in Chief, in which he is considered as executing this duty — That he has not exhibited the orders of the Commander in Chief, when he commenced this duty, or any evidence of the time when it ended — That several instances have occurred wherein the General ordered Officers in command of this service and paid them their expenses under the resolution of September 4^th 1776 which resolution was repealed on the first of February 1781 — How far it is essential that more direct proof be exhibited of the time of his services or what allowances shall be granted after the repeal of the resolution of September 1776, and whether this claim is or not forfeitable at the admission by virtue of the act of limitations of the army claims of November 8^th 1785 are questions which I take the liberty to leave for the decision of the Board I am &c JP New York March 10^th 1787 Thomas Smith Esq^r. Dear Sir The acknowledgment of your letter of the [undecipherable] has been delayed, as I had nothing material to communicate. I this Day found M^r. Isaac Bronson, the Gentleman on whose name the original of the counterfeit certificate was signed and on which Wilson is now in confinement, who says that he sold his original soon after he received it and that it was out of his hands until some time last January when one Jese Gibbs, a person answering precisely the description of the person aged, manner & dress of Wilson now in Goal, bought from the original which he bought from him — That this Gibbs was in company with a man calling himself Crane answering to the description of the Gibbs who was confined for Burrells certificate — Now it appears to me that this M^r. Bronson will be an essential evidence for the conviction of these fellows principally as he will testify to the alteration of their names, and in the instance of the one now in Goal, that he sold the original of which he is to offer in Philadelphia was an exact duplicate in every term and writing — If he is brought [undecipherable] the expense M^r. Burrell's and Myself will pay Bronson for his Journey to attend the trial of the public will and do it, we therefore wish to be informed if it is necessary for him to appear — I am &c JP Honorable Office of Army Accounts Board of Treasury New York March 15^th 1797 Gentlemen In conformity to the directions of your honorable Board I have attended to the Claims of Cap^t Machin for a compensation of a sum of Public money lost in his hands and for a depreciation in his extra pay as an Engineer, and beg leave to report — That he received the sum of Two hundred Dollars from Colonel Lamb on the 28 of September 1777 that on the 6^th of October following when Fort Montgomery was taken, he lost his whole baggage and clothing, except what he had on at the time. That he has accounted with me for this amount as all the public monies that went thro' his hands, and that it does not appear in his settlement that he made any payments between his receiving this money and his loss of his baggage, excepting forty dollars, paid on the [undecipherable] of October. I beg leave therefore to submit, the probability of his loss of this money, excepting the forty dollars he had paid, and the propriety of the value of the same being allowed to him on on his attestation — That on the 20^th of a November 1778 he drew from the military chest the sum of Nine hundred and forty nine Dollars for his extra pay as an engineer from April 4^th 1776 to November 23 1778 at thirty dollars [undecipherable] month on which sum he claims a depreciation — If his continuance in the service as an Officer to the 10^th day of April 1784 entitle him to a depreciation on the extra pay of an officer in which he had prior to that time ceased acting, Resolve of February 11^th 1783 has reports here to his State for the same and therefore no restriction is necessary in his case, as the depreciation has been hitherto made up by the State, I do not know the principles adopted by them in instances of this nature — JP New York March 19^th 1787 Dear Sir, Your letters of the 5^th instant are received — I have to inform you that agent Benjamin Mosely of Artillery is not mentioned in the returns of prisoners either in this or the War Office, for which reason he has been omitted in the species pay rolls of 1783. — I have attended to Captain Fitzgeralds accounts — the balance against him of fifty one [undecipherable] dollars with Interest on the same from the 1^st of January 1778 to 1 May 1783 must be refunded to the Loan Office of Virginia after which he will be entitled to the species lodged in his hands — You have credited Colonel G. B. Wallace with the 500 Dollars in Fitzgeralds account and in your letter on the subject you say he received it