[Cover endorsements: L'tre [undecipherable] / rec'd 7 [undecipherable] / Ans. Aug [undecipherable]] [Lower left: [undecipherable] / [undecipherable] / [undecipherable] 1797] [Lower right: [undecipherable], John [undecipherable] / Capt, U.S.a. [undecipherable] / 1797] Knox Ville March 14^th 1797 Sir. A Duplicate of your letter of the 10 Ultimo was this moment handed me, the first has never come to hand. — I embrace the earliest occasion to explain to you, the Omissions with which I have been charged, — It is a pleasing satisfaction to me to think that they have not been wilful — When I rec'd the 226 Dollars from Lieut Wright, who had Charge of Captain Reeds effects after his decease — it was by order of Lieut. C.C. Hamtramck the commanding at Fort Wayne — this Sum was considered as monies rec'd by Captain Reed, for the recruiting Service, and [undecipherable] of the articles of War Col: Hamtramck directed Lieut Wright to deliver the money into my hands, and me to notify the Sec'y of War, and the Pay Master General of the Troops of the United States, of my having it in possession, and and Subject to their or either of their orders — this I did as early as December 1795 or some time in Jan'y 1796 — a reference may be had to my letter to the Sec't at War on the subject — no answer to my letters to these Gentlemen was given me — A part of this money I appropriated, by order, to the recruiting Service, and enlisted Robert Cane, now a waiter in the family of Brig'r Gen'l Wilkinson — and Edw'd Alcus formerly belonging to the Squadron of Dragoons — Gen'l Wilkinson has the enlistment of the former — that of the latter I have myself — but as I ought to [strikethrough: having] Alcus attested from the want of a Judge advocate at Fort Vincines, and as I have not rec'd Canes enlistment from the General those two Bounties Amounting to 34 Dol's I must of Course be accountable for, until [strikethrough: at a future day, when] I receive them and of Course [strikethrough: before] the money will be refunded me — Deeming myself under the particular orders of Colonel Hamtramck prior to my leaving Detroit — and wishing to have as few public accounts to settle as possible, I delivered to him the Ballance of the Sum of Captain Reeds monies, and took his receipt for the Same — which receipt I had with me in Philad'a; and, but for my not recollecting the Circumstance should have been happy to have stated it at your office — not seeing the Charge against me, and having no occasion to examine the Papers among which the receipt was — the transaction slept my memory, and I fear this negligence has induced you to think that my intentions tended to dishonor — My Trunk has not arrived — my papers are in it, and it will be impossible for me to settle with Colonel Henley until I receive them — I beg you to be assured Sir, that I never have had the most distant wish to hold in my possession Public monies, without regularly accounting for the Same — When I paid the Ballance to Col: Hamtramck, and took his receipt it was upon the Same Principles, with that of the receipt I took from him, for the Ballance of monies Rec'd from t Camp bell Smith which is now deposited in your office — as I observed before the receipt is in my Trunk — I am always ready to account for my Conduct as a public officer and [strikethrough: if] if I have committed errors, they have been the errors of the head, not of the heart — with respect to my Pay for Subsistence for May and June 1796 — I pledge my honor to you as an officer and a Gentleman that I had entirely forgotten, [strikethrough: that] I had made out Provision Returns when at Post Vincennes for those two months, I rec'd not a farthing of money from Mr Swan for May and June — but from the Public I drew Provision, which is the Same thing — and I ought to have recollected the Circumstance — but I solemnly assure you I did not — I beg you will therefore excuse this first omission — it is the only one I have ever been charged with since I have had the honor to bear a Commission in the Army — and I do hope it will not be supposed I could have any intention to defraud the Public of the trifling Sum of 6[undecipherable] [strikethrough: and] and 79 — I will settle with Col: Henley pursuant to your directions — and have the honor to be with respect Sir Your Most Obed Serv^t Jno [undecipherable] Capt US Army [W^m Simmons Esq^r Acc^t War Dep^t]