[W.D. no. 91] P.D. C.O.R. May 1794 The following facts appear in relation to the Claim of Nath^l Dummer That he was appointed Assistant to the Com^y of Prisoners in the Department of R. Island by the orders of General Sullivan on the 7^th of Dec^r 1779. That he was paid 40 Doll^rs p^r Mo Wages & 20 Dolls Subsistance by Benj^a Stelle, from Jan^y 1^st to Nov^r 1^st 1779 — in the Complain — $t 600. — That his claim is for [strikethrough: Balance] Pay from Jan^y 1 1779 to Jan^y 1^st 1781 at 40 Dolls — — — 960. Subsistance at [undecipherable] Doll P^r Mo — — — 192 [undecipherable] whole am^t he credits Dolls 1152 — [undecipherable] the sum p^d as equal to 34 .37.6 Leaving the Bal^ce [undecipherable] 1117 62. [strikethrough: The] Com^y Gen^l Skinner under date of Nov^r 20^th 1779 enclosed a letter to M^r Dummer [undecipherable] the S. [undecipherable] from which the following is an Extract "When I had the pleasure of seeing you at "Providence I informed you, that should it "be found necessary to have a Deputy to the "Post, I would be happy to have your represent- "ation, [undecipherable] heart to apprise you that of my "wishes on this occasion, & that I would take "the earliest opportunity of informing "& authorizing you to Act, when the B^d of "War or all think it expedi^t until that [undecipherable] "an Appointment should be made" No subsequent appointment [strikethrough: is supposed] appears, though by letters from Abram Skinner dated May 8. 1780 dated Gen^l Heath July 25^th Sept. 20^th 1780 &c, from Morrison dated July 5^th & Aug 1^st 1780 — & by a resolve of the Council of War in R. Island dated July 29^th 1780 & a Review of the General Assembly in Sept 1780, it appears that the said Dummer was [strikethrough: acting] performing certain services in the Dep^t of the Commissary of Prisoners — If any legal authority was derived from the U. States it is not [undecipherable] the orders which were rendered, and therefore probably under authorities derived from the State of R. Island or the Commanding Officer of the Troops — By a letter from C. Greene dated Nov 5^th 1780 [undecipherable] is [undecipherable] to have been at that time the Commanding Officer, M^r Dummer [undecipherable] was [undecipherable] from the Service with an allowance of 40 Dol^rs P^r month to the 20^th of Jan^y 1781, which time was [undecipherable] allowed for him to make such arrange- ments as was necessary — & with an intimation that M^r Ellery would be appointed in his place. — It appears from the [undecipherable] [strikethrough: Accounts] rendered [not by the order of the Troops] to the late Aud^r [strikethrough: that] dated Nov^r 9^th 1785: that M^r C. Ellery was appointed Intendant of Prisoners for the Rhode Island [undecipherable] in [strikethrough: Sept] 1780, consequently no ground for allowing the pay allo^d by C. Greens Letter of Nov^r 5^th 1780 is [undecipherable]. — From the defect of authority to make th[is] Appointment by Gen^l Sullivan & from the letter of the Com^y General dated Nov 20^th 1779 I am of opinion that M^r Dummer [strikethrough: will] cannot be regularly considered as [strikethrough: the] Officer in the Dep^t of the Com^y General of Prisoners [strikethrough: at that] [undecipherable] & that his claim to be allowed depositions during the time he was paid on old Emission is unfounded — Certain services [undecipherable] however [undecipherable] to have been performed [strikethrough: from] after Nov^r 1^st 1779, to [strikethrough: the] Sept 1780 for which it does not appear any compensation [undecipherable] about the 7^th Dec^r 1779 requisition of public Officers, without any regular appointment [undecipherable] [undecipherable] made or the usual [undecipherable] [undecipherable] the allowance [undecipherable] [undecipherable] equitable [strikethrough: if amount] to be [undecipherable] by Congress as appears most probable, a reasonable com- pensation is due, but the rate must be [undecipherable] [strikethrough: determined] by Congress — Yet it seems necessary that the rate should be settled by Congress — [undecipherable] Hon^ble H. Knox Esq^r