New York, September 8^th 1787 [undecipherable] Gentlemen, Congress having directed the final adjustment of [undecipherable] accounts and, the [federal?] accounts as near [respect?] the [undecipherable], [depreciation?] and receiving of the Army, to be done as [undecipherable] [granted?] [I] liberty to represent to you [undecipherable] that this [recommendation?] be done with any precision or [certainty?] with[out] accounts being had in every individual payment to the original members of the Army, which [proof?] must take [my view?] a great number of [items?], as well as be attended with a considerable degree of confusion, in [overturning?] the many transfers of the Army which have generally been taken [annulled?] by [undecipherable] and this [can?] by reason of [undecipherable] and [country?], [may?] [the] [officers?] will with great difficulty be found [thus?] the [bills?] to the time of their [disposition?]. To remedy these [grievances, I have, with submission,] to I beg [permission?] from [Officers?] and [Boards?] of [every?] [undecipherable] [represent?] or [land?], [from?] [undecipherable] and [of?] [many?] had [offices?] or [soldiers?] to [bring?] the [regiment?] to the time [undecipherable] of [an?] [adjudication?], which shall also [show?] the [different?] [undecipherable] [would?] that [has?] [taken?] place [there?] [respect?] [to?] [undecipherable] notice on the [Transfers?]. The [benefit?] that will [result?] from each [man?] [history?] or [mind?] of the Army, I [flatter myself?] will be very considerable, as by it no sum can be [omitted?] [saved?] or [overpaid?]. [have?] nor [run?] any undue [measures?] by which he has forfeited [his?] pay [not?] [received?], and from which [if?] [a removal?] [rightly?] [permitted?] I can [find?] and [state?] at one (without [running?] to [innumerable?] [undue?] [officers?]) View, the aggregate sum that each State had a right to [the?] [men?] pay and which perhaps it would be equal to just [undecipherable] credit. Besides this [advantages?] I believe [no?] [undecipherable] can be fallen on, whereby by which the [officers?] [to holding?] that are entitled to [back?] [muster?] [be known?], and their claims clearly distinguished from [pretenders?]. These advantages appear to me so obvious, that I should not have troubled the Board with [undecipherable], but [in the occasion?] seem it not necessary that I should employ a suitable number of Clerks [immediately?] [undecipherable] the [Annual?] [Alphabetical?] History of the [lines?] may be ready in season for the encounters of the States and be nearly completed as [possible?] by the time [returns?] from [Virginias?], which expense I should be [answered?] to incur, without the sanction of the Board. I leave the Honor to be very [end?] Your ob^t Serv^t [undecipherable] [Address panel: To the [Comptroller?] / Apr. 27, 1787 / For the [Secretary?]]