William Mason Sir Office of Accounts March 1790 In obedience to your request this day I have, examined the Books of this Office and find that William Mason late a Soldier in the Virginia Line was made a Prisoner at the Surrender of Charles Town— that on the 19 May 80. he was appointed Assistant Steward to the Hospital under the direction of Doct. Oliphant and has been paid by the State of So Carolina the Ald. [strikethrough: been paid] for his Services as such from that period to the 1 May 1783 at which period the General exchange of Southern Prisoners took effect— I presume the claim he has is for depreciation on pay from the time he entered Service to the 19 May 1780 this ought to have been [strikethrough: settle] d by the State of Virginia [strikethrough: but] the More probably has been settled by the State of Virginia but am prevented from a knowledge of the fact as the Office of Col^o Davis, with whom the papers are, is not at present shut— I have the Honor to be Joseph Howell D^y. Howell [undecipherable] 36.1/2 The Honble The Sec^y at War