The Commissioner of Army Accounts upon the Petition of Ichabod Spencer referred to him by the Secretary at War respectfully Reports — That the prayer of the Petitioner is a compensation for sundry soldiers of the late line of Connecticut whilst employed as artificers upon redoubts & Fortifications by order of Gen^l. Heath, and for his own Service as a Superintendant of their Work. That Congress did on the 2^nd October 1776 resolve That one eighth part of a dollar over and above their soldiers pay, be allowed to such persons as are necessarily draughted for quarter masters uses. That in the opinion of the Commissioner the claim of the Petitioner to an allowance is incontrovertable but the quantum or extent of that allowance is a question of some controversy It appears that a Settlement of his accounts has been made by the then Auditor at Camp and an order given upon the Pay Master for the amount but not paid — this Settlement appears to have contimple- the depreciated state of the then currency and an extra or additional sum admitted in consequence the question then arising upon the claim is whither the amount found due by the Auditor should be reduced to a Specie value at the then current [strikethrough: of the] exchange or whither [strikethrough: an] payment should not now be made upon the principles of the Act of Congress 2^nd Oct^r 76 — Upon [strikethrough: the whole the] By consideration of the circumstances the Commissioner is of opinion that as the balance stated by the Auditor when reduced by the scale of depreciation would yield a Sum by no means adequate to the Service 'twould be but justice to allow one eighth of a dollar p^r day to the men and a proportionate extension of pay to the Petitioner as Superintendant for the time they have been employed, [strikethrough: generally] [strikethrough: the whole] to be discharged in a Certificate from the Register of the Treasury with an interest to commence from the time of performing the Service — all which is Submitted. Com^r A Acc^ts 8 May 90 [the honble Sec^y at War]