[To Eustis] [152] New York 13 December 1789 (Dear Sir I have hitherto forborne answering your favor of the [undecipherable] month in hopes that [some] arrangements for paying the invalids would have been decided upon, which would have enabled me to have [replied?] with [strikethrough: some your] more precise information — But this not being effected I can not defer writing any longer — [strikethrough: I] It does not appear to be the intention of Congress the last Session [to] to have any further inspection of the Invalids — Congress presumed that the States had taken all the necessary precautions, and that the [necessary?] ought to operate to strike off [any?] who were now on the List to — [strikethrough: those off —] [strikethrough: And fine] any new ones as [strikethrough: [undecipherable]] — The only necessary arrangement was to pay the same persons whom the States had paid — Since you [pe?] to [undecipherable], [nevertheless?] the same mind there will not be any [such] those as a commissary of Prisoners — a payment [in?] in each State who shall conform to the orders for [strikethrough: declaring] the [identity?] of [strikethrough: [undecipherable]] but the [master?] [register?] to [strikethrough: [undecipherable]] the invalids [as?] [responsible?] to [undecipherable: comprising] all that have be[en] [received?] — It is not yet decided who shall have the [management?] of the invalids whether some particular [Collection?] of [the State?] [one?] State or some person specially appointed for that purpose — If the latter, and M^r Lucas [should?] [keep?] — I [presume?] there will be no difficulty in obtaining the appointment for you — I know not who will make the appointment — I presume [it?] [depends?] on the [Treasurer?] — [okay] [with?] the approbation of the President of the United States — But [whether?] [Congress?] [will?] [have?] [passed?] [others?] — [then?] [some?] [undecipherable] — [undecipherable] must oblige [if?] you to delay on the [subject?] — I have elsewhere [undecipherable] some [difficulties?] for the Count de [Pugnin?] [a?] [partly?] [dozen?] [request?] but I have not as [much?] off — If the Gentleman [would?] not have, and [if?] I [will?] [forward?] — [undecipherable] on your [own?] [request?] — [undecipherable] there [he?] on the Count de [S?] [Murga?] [undecipherable] — I am of opinion [not?] you that it was a [grand?] [conference?] of the [Count?] [Display?] by [which?] the Count de Monteres [was?] [conferred?] as [a member?] [Count?] [de?] [undecipherable] both the President [undecipherable] those it was not [undecipherable] — [undecipherable] [thinking?] upon the individual claims of the Officers The [left?] of [those?] he [hundreds?] have they were admitted as members — This official information must be considered as [trustworthy?] — I am My dear Sir Your most obedient Servant — H. Knox Doctr Wm Eustis — [H. Knox / 13 Dec — 1789]