[34] have and as explicit for their satisfaction as you can, and strike the balance & enclose the whole to me — I hope you will state it upon as favourable principles to the family as you can consistent with justice & the rules [undecipherable] for your government. I would just mention that they conceive he has a considerable claim for rations Undrawn, & some what for back pay not received — M^r Wood has come to town & will wait for your answer — Please to write me how our good friend M^r Pierce is ..... Yours &c John Nicholson Joseph h Howell Jun^r Esq^r As^t Com^r of Army Ac^ts New York June 30^th 1782. Dear Sir Your favor of the 24^th Inst was not handed me before this morning — I will endeavor to have a copy of the account of Col Wood prepared for you by tomorrow post — It will not be in my power to close them without being in possession of Col Bayards voucher — Col Wells certainly must have the vouchers for account current or how could he have settled with Col Bayard — If the accounts are closed without the monies rec^d by Col Bayards the United States will be deprived of the means of recovering any part of it — I have no Muster Roll of the 1^st Regiment so early as the month of May 1777. I have therefore applied to the accounts of M^r [undecipherable] Dungan late paymaster to that Regiment & find that Cap^t Hannaniah Lincoln as attorney has received the pay of Cap^t Peter Withington to the 1^st May 1777 but no remark is made, how or in what manner he left the service — I am very anxious to inform you that M^r Pierce is exceedingly ill & in all probability will not live many weeks — I am &c Yours Joseph h Howell Jun^r J^on Nicholson Esq^a