Office of Army Accounts Sir, New York, Decem 13, 1797 I do myself the Honor to inclose you a [undecipherable] of sundry men late of General Hazen's Regt who are [undecipherable] by the accounts of said Regiment to be of the State of New Hampshire and who are entitled to receive their Depreciation of their pay from that State — I make no doubt there are more men of that Regiment who are Citizens of New Hampshire but the Returns are too imperfect for me to [undecipherable] more than the inclosed — J Howell Jr The Honble Nicholas Gilman Esquire Mendham 13 Decem 1797 Dear Sir Yours of the 28 Ult has come to hand for which I return you my most hearty thanks — But find you do not [undecipherable: probable reading "exactly"] understand what I yet want from M^r Phillips. The securities which you mentioned having with him M^r Walcott were allowed to me when I was in New York last, what I want of him is a Sheet of Paper whereon are a number of names who signed orders to him to receive their securities which securities I gave him which orders I now want as my voucher for the delivery of them to him and which [by] inattention I left in his hands after I had delivered him all the securities and which he now wickedly detains — or my idea which you raised are the names of the Persons the securities belonged to, which by comparing with the account of M^r Walcott you will find to be all different persons — Now what I want you to do is to write to him and put him in mind that he has received such a number of securities which he must account for and that he is liable to an arrest from the [undecipherable] if he does not do it — It seems that he has not delivered them all to the owners, but if he will deliver up the Papers I mention it will be sufficient for me — you mentioned Majo Painter he signed the order I have a Letter from him wherein he mentions signing the order It is only a foolish wicked ungenerous Villany that prevents him from delivering up the orders and I have sufficient authority to say he is encouraged in it by his Father — as I have had it from his own lips — But if any way can be devised to give him some alarm and obtain it I shall be exceeding glad — in my bundle in your Office is a copy of the writing with the names drawn by the old Gentleman you mentioned some delivered up to Talton to which I have to observe that when I received the securities Cap^t Talton was present he told me he wished to have some to take with him immediately to Boston for some of his Company who were waiting for him to bring them — I applied to M^r Pierce who told me I might let him have what he pleased of his own Company — I did so and have his receipt for them — But the Publick may say they do not know that he has delivered them to the owners but the presumption is so great that I think I ought not to be questioned concerning them, they were all men who had left the service only a few weeks & none of them have ever in Person or otherwise called on me — I shall be glad to know if you do any thing in the matter or if you do not — But if you do not I know not what I shall do — I have spent so much money already in getting the accounts of the Regiment settled and