[To L^t Horatio R Dayton Governors Island New Yorks —] Department of War Accountants Office May 14. 1796 — Sir I have received your letters of the — [blank]^th Instant enclosing your muster and pay role for April which — cannot be acted on at present, not knowing from whose Company — Asa Hale joined, you will therefore please inform from what Company he joined, and any other Circumstances which may throw light on the causes of his Arrears of pay I am &c William Simmons [Lieu^t Col. Stephen Rochefontaine West Point —] Department of War Accountants Office. May 14. 1796 — Sir That the Corps of Artillerists and Engineers may not be in Arrears for their pay, it should now be Taken to have the Men Mustered — You will therefore have a Muster — and Pay Role made out for the Month of April, and transmit the same to this office in the usual way, and steps will be Taken — to pay the Corps previous to any of the Men leaving West Point — I am &c William Simmons — [Nathaniel Gorham Esq. Supervisor Boston —] Department of War Accountants Office, May 14. 1796 Sir I Received your letters of the 11^th Inst enclosing the Receipt of Capt George Ingersoly for three hundred Dollars — which sum will be passed to your Credit on the Books of this Office I am &c William Simmons [The Secretary of War] Department of War Accountants Office 16^th May 1796 Sir The Claims presented by Col^e Greene for Services of Kentucky Militia have been rejected upon the same Principle that all have been which have come forward in the manners since my appointment. The custom before that period, as he represents it — but the consequence was, that persons who received the Money have seldom or never thought of coming forwards to account for the Money so received, and at this time, advances of an enormous Amount are [strikethrough: now] outstanding on the Books of the Office; altho in some instances bonds have been given for — Accounting for the same — In consequence of this I thought absolutely Necessary to adopt the plan which [undecipherable] is that of Requiring powers of Attorney from each Individual and Secretary of War accordingly in his Instructions to some of the County Lieu^ts directed this plan to be pursued — The plan is a new one, and is generally known in the Country where Militia is employed — It is not generally the Custom to give public Notes when changes of this kind take place in settling accounts but they are generally adopted as exigencies of the case requires it If Capt M^t Attee has paid any of the Men as M^r Greene represents; their receipts will be received as vouchers, and the M^r paid accordingly so that there is no Danger of his losing the M[undecipherable]