[from Col.Lear Aug. 31. 1793 ans. 9. Feb. 93] S^r Pittsburg January 31. 1793 I have this day remitted to Brian Joseph Irving for thirty one thousand five hundred and fifteen dollars in land Wates for the pay and for age due to the army for August and September 1792 being the amount be returned you in Philadelphia as per your letter of the 18 Instant and inventory inclosed in it. I am'd at the same time a list of advances made by you to the wives people Non com officers of the Privates of B^o Connolly, Ety, Halpons, 10^th Decm^r and to Samuel M^c in Button Brows, 30 Decm^r Amounting to 20¹⁵/. 2 Drs more. I do not consider the such advances as a sound cash, but that they are and therefore Have receipted for no more than the exact sum deliverd me by Brian Irving But as I have offered to you low my from Liberty will make the deductions when ever these are presented to me, and the reason assigned to the same as usual due to them. You Must be fully sensible of the confusion and embarrasments that will necessarily attend the payments made by you in Philadel to women whose husbands Might be dead or detached for months before intelligence there of could be to but from Vincennes, Fort Benton or Fort Jefferson to the clans. I believe that you have been lead into the latitude from the most benevolent motives, and I have no less than to censure the stoppages made to the first advances. And the daily officers, that to their not appraised by you as belonging to any company or captn, I have not know when or where to look for them. I hope and believe that henceforward such payments will cease — for it certainly is Not my province or yours to act as a fashionable agent for a fashionate pay master, will not any constitutional authority by making such charges or advances. Which the hitherto but trifling in themselves are attended with more trouble and perplexity than longer forms would be, and is that is little worthy with a continual task, arising from the very precarious nature of the life or service of the Soldier to whom the same is chargeable. I am for your most ob^t Humble Servant Jos. Beuville B^g [undecipherable] Paymaster &c Act W Dep^t Paymaster of the United States