Office of Army Accounts

New York Oct 18th 1787

Sir

In compliance with your request relative to the claims for pay of Captain James Davis Ensign, John Sorrell, Thomas Sorrell and John Farrell. I beg leave to inform you that the acts of Congress of November 2nd 1785 forecloses these claims - If Captain Davis had presented his claim in season I should have rejected it in its present form, the pay rolls of the Virginia Line being at Richmond puts it out of my power to ascertain whether this

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this office was included in them as a supernumeracy office of Colo Heths Regiment which might have been the case and the money still be in the hands of the psymaster of the Regiment it is therefore necessary that that Capt Davis should qualify to his not receiving the psay, or procure a certificate from the paymaster that it has not been drawn from the United States-

Farrells claim is proper, no other objection arises than the act of Congress to a settlement with him -

The pay of those soldiers who died or were killed was always included in the pay rolls to the day of their death, I therefore presume the United States is discharged from the claim of Thomas Sorrell -

Mr Buckner has left me in the dark as to the time of service of Ensign Sorrell altho he died after the war, he does not say he continued to the end of it - and as Mr dunscomb has not noticed him in any of his returns to this office. I suppose he must have resigned or have been supernumeracy. I would recommend Mrs Sorrel to apply to the state for if her son was entitled

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entitled to depreciation she will receive it if not further application will not be necessary -

I am Sir Yo

J Howell Jr