Office of Army Accounts New York 26 Jany 1795 Sir, The principal objection to a close of the Accounts of Colonel Crane arises on the expenditure of the Monies received by him in the Years 1777 for the Recruiting Service. I have carefully examined the principal Books of this Office, the Accounts that which have been settled by the late Comptroller of Army Accounts, and those that were closed by the late Auditors of the Army, and have selected therefrom such Officers of Col^o Crane's Regiment as have made a settlement of their Accounts and received the Monies received by them; those others have settled and probably credited the Colonel, and those who appear not to have made any settlement whatever, a Return of which I do myself the honor to inclose you. The money actually received in 1777 for the recruiting Service by Col^o Crane for the Recruiting Service amounts to — [undecipherable] dol. 11,700 as it appears by Receipts from the Officers that he paid for the Recruiting Service the Sum of 10,330 that he also advanced to recruiting Officers in account of Pay, the Sum of 379.60 amounting to 10,709.60 from which deduct as monies returned to him by his Officers as noted to the Col^o in their Receipts 1,876.10 7,833.10 [underline: leaving the advance or advances to his Officers of Eight thousand eight hundred & twenty three 90/dollars] which deducts from the amount received, leaves the Sum of three thousand seventy six 90/dollars due the United States which from appears to be in the hands of the Col^o in the month of July 1777, unappropriated. 3076.50 The Money he received in the Years 1778 & 1779 for the Recruiting Service, amounts to Dol. 6483.— The Receipts produced for Cash advanced to sundry Officers & for Bounty paid to sundry Men for enlisting and Reenlisting amounts to 77,481. To which add the premium for enlisting Men! 110 & for Reenlisting 61 Men 820 12,411 dols. [undecipherable] here it appears that Col^o Crane advances the Sum of five thousand nine hundred and twenty eight dols more than he Received— 5928 A Question is whether this [strikethrough: money] [above: Bala] was a part of [strikethrough: that which was rec'd] [above: the Money] received in the Year 1777. If it is, I am of opinion that the Oath of the Colonel to the fact will justify me in opposing the whole of the advances to the charges and reducing the balance at the time it appeared due. This would leave a balance in favor of the Colonel — [strikethrough: on the contrary] by decision of the Measures made in this Office — on the contrary if it should appear that the Sum due by the Col^o in 1777 was appropriated by him to his private [above: absently] use, then his Accounts will stand as I have stated them and leave him a Debtor to the U. States exclusive of the Sum retained from him and the Monies advanced by him to those Officers who resigned previous to a Settlement — I have the Honor &c &c Jos. Howell Jr. The Hon^ble The Secretary at War