Richmond May 23^d 1787— Dear Sir Your letter of the 15^th is received — the stoppages from deserters if founded on the nature of the case; a general order which directed it; and its being countenanced by several Resolutions of Congress, there is a Resolve I thinks that all absentees money should be retained in the hands of the Public untill called for and I should conclude that the application of a Deserter for it, would be his being apprehended and punished for deserting — rather than that he should receive any Pay — I believe that the case of Lieut. Jn^o. Sullivan is as much in point as any — You had best inform the Board the amount of the money thus stopped, that they may know the consequences of an innovation, of their practice which is founded at least from the Custom of the whole war as well as of other armies — I wish for a Copy of Maj^r Eccleston's receipt for money charged to him, in the account sent M^r. Hopkins which he says he did not receive, being one hundred dollars of the Paymaster General and Sixty of Jn^o. S. Dart — I am D Sir Yours Sincerely Jn^o. Pierce