Report on Army Accounts Memorialist by Commissioner
Document 1790Howell reported on payments made and questions appropriations made.
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The Commissioner of Army Accounts to whom was referred, by the Secretary at War, the Memorial of Colo Anthony W. White, begs Leave to report—
That on the 1st of July 1780 the Memorialist paid into the hands of Captain I. Besfield Paymaster to his Regiment, the sum of One hundred fifty thousand dollars for which the said Besfield gave his receipt expressing to have been received for the use of the Regiment and to be Applied as the Colonel might please to direct.
That on the 2d February 1787 Captain Besfield Certified that the aforesaid sum put into his hands by the Memorialist was Applied to the use of the Regiment and Accounted for by him to some of the Staff departments and that no part of it was Applied to the use of the Memorialist or for any other Private Purpose whatever.
On the above the Commissioner of Army Accounts begs Leave to Observe.
That altho' the Memorialist paid this money out of his hands, yet he still kept the direction of it in his power & therefore made himself Accountable for its distribution.
That the Certificate of Captain Besfield is exceeding inexplicit. it does not express which of the Staff departments (whether of the United States or of the State of Virginia) he Accounted to, or left his Vouchers with the expenditures of this Money. but admitting the money was expended agreeably to the Certificate of Capt. Besfield still a Quere arises in the Breast of the Commissioner what part of it was Appropriated for the Purchase of Provisions Arms and Cloathing & how much was Appropriated for the pay of the Regiment & recruiting Service. what ever part was Appropriated for Purposes of pay will be a loss to the Union as the state of Virginia has settled with his Regiment without Noticing any Advances made by the Memorialist or the Paymaster— the Part that has been Appropriated to the recruiting Service involves
involves itself in the State & Continental Bounties and Should be settled by Virginia as that State by a Legislative Act granted a considerable sum as a bounty to recruits in addition to the allowance made by the United States.
It Appears that the Regiment has been settled with by the State of Virginia to the 31st December 1781 and by the United States from that Period to the dates of their respective discharges
And That Colonel White has received his pay, depreciation of pay & Commutation but whether any Cash in lieu of Forage the Commissioner is not Able to Ascertain as it belonged to a department not within his Cognizance.
That the Commissioner has in his Possession a Statement of the Account of the Memorialist made by the late Commissioner of Army Accounts which Statement includes a Credit for the sum he now prays for and even with this Allowance there still Appears a large Sum in the old Emission of Continental Currency to be Accounted
Accounted for with the United States and with the State of Virginia.
From these the Commissioner is induced to Conclude That Colo White has at present no equitable Claim to the allowance, [strikethrough: distressed for] but should remain in Suspension untill the Several Sums chargeable to him are properly Stated and the Accounts of expenditure Satisfactorily made
all which is submitted
Joseph Howell junr
Office of Army Accounts
16 March 1790.
[Report of Joseph Howell Junr Commissioner of Army Accounts on the Memorial of Colo White— Recd 16 March 1790]
The Honorable
The Secretary at War.
Type
Document Signed
Description
Howell reported on payments made and questions appropriations made.
Date
03/16/1790
Author
Recipient
Collection
Document number
1790031640001
Page start
1
Notable persons
Henry Knox
Joseph Howell
