[Fort Fiddius June 30. 1794 from [undecipherable] [undecipherable] and [undecipherable] Village ans July 2^d 1794 a [undecipherable] 2. 94] Fort Fiddius, 30^th June 1794 Sir On the twenty second instant I had the honor to receive yours favors of the ninth and twelfth of [undecipherable] and the duplicates of the same. Although you appear to approve of the mode in which I have conducted my business — I think it necessary to enter into an explanation thereof in answer to certain points of your letters. You will please to observe that the situation in which I found the troops and militia in this Post, rendered a perfect obedience to the Comptroller's instructions impracticable — Have I ever made it an invariable rule never to pay money without taking duplicate receipts — and I have in all cases with the paymasters of the regular troops taken them on the payroles; I therefore do not comprehend the meaning of the second paragraph of your letter of the twelfth of [undecipherable] — 'I observe that you do not seem to contemplate the necessity of having a set of muster and payroles examined and certified by you, much the sub-paymasters receipts as usual, as proper vouchers for your advances and that the Sub-paymasters should have duplicates for his government in making payments.' — If I understand the twenty fourth paragraph of the Comptroller's instructions, I have conformed thereto as far as circumstances would admit — I have certified my examination of the payroles, have taken duplicate receipt thereon and returned the originals certified payrole to the paymasters — It has always appeared to me that the intention of taking duplicates or triplicate receipts for monies disbursed on public business been to check the officer charged therewith, and to enable him to account for his expenditures in case of accidents — Upon this principle I have regularly transmitted to you the muster & pay rolls with receipt thereon, and have retained the duplicates in my own hands to produce, if required, on the settlement of my accounts — As they are of the same tenor and date, I do not conceive there should be any necessity of transmitting them — and [thence] deprive myself of all the witnesses of my disbursements — It fully appears to me by the thirty second paragraph of the Comptroller's instructions that it is not required of me — I should however be much obliged to you to point out any mistakes I may have been led into.... and I will most carefully conform to your directions. The only money transaction I have had with M^r [undecipherable] has been for the amount of the [undecipherable] delivered to me before I left Philadelphia. That I might comply as far as was in my power with the Comptroller's instructions I caused duplicate copies of these notes to be made, which I certified and delivered to him; and I also gave him instructions founded on those of the Comptroller, copies of which I have transmitted to the War Office; on the original note he gave me receipts, duplicates of which were transmitted to you on the first of October — I am now [undecipherable] there could not have [been] the smallest objection to this transaction — I now enclose you the duplicates of my letter of the [undecipherable] and also those which were sent by M^r [undecipherable] to whom I also delivered the muster payroles therein mentioned. Augusta from thence I shall forward them to the War Office — I should be obliged to you to inform me what compensation M^r [undecipherable] is to receive for his services. Colonel Gaither has not had payroles made out for the men since he has joined. The officer who has disbursed the money and took his duplicate receipts for the same — One set of these I transmitted to you on the eighteenth of last [undecipherable] — They are the only vouchers he has received for the disbursment of the money — He desired [undecipherable] to enter the payroles in a book, for the purpose, in the usual form, but did not require him to take receipts, the rolls have been examined by a certificate of one of the officers of the company that he was present when the men were paid. Colonel Gaither has given [undecipherable] instructions that the [undecipherable] was transacted in this manner by his orders. enclosed is a copy thereof — As the Colonel has deviated from the Comptroller's instructions, I am at a loss how to act. I would suppose it improper for me to settle the accounts unless I could receive your orders for that purpose. Such purpose is to go into an examination of the accounts as [undecipherable] shall return to his post — he is now in command. Hitherto there has not been any [undecipherable] no [undecipherable], and I should not wish to make an innovation unless the commanding officer shall require me so to do. It is impossible for me to ascertain who since [undecipherable] has received the ninety five dollars and only paid [undecipherable] of his rations — He however declares that he made a settlement with the contractor, and that he was not indebted else to the public or them on account of this subsistence — I shall therefore take no further notice of this charge — Colonel Gaither, Major Roberts and other officers who have lately received promotions have claimed the difference of pay between the rank they now hold and the rank under which they have been mustered, including the whole time of [undecipherable] command — As I am not prepared to funds for this purpose, nor have any instructions upon this subject — I will thank you for your directions as soon as possible — they will have lost allowance, and your decision will place these matters beyond all dispute. I am not clearly understanding whether I am to pay the Scouts in Liberty county — I know that by the letter of the President of the United States of [undecipherable], they are allowed, but I am going [undecipherable] I should not be justified in making any payments to them until after their rolls have passed through your Office for examination. And I conceive to have been the intention of the President, not only with respect to the Scouts but for all demands for military service. I now transmit you the following vouchers: Musters and payroles for the garrisons of Fort Fiddius and [undecipherable] from the first of November 1792 to the thirty first of May 1794. [undecipherable] consisting of two thousand two hundred and forty one dollars and eighteen cents, which is [undecipherable] the sum I had estimated in my statement N^o 3 was two hundred and thirty eight dollars & eighty two cents — I have therefore credited the United States with this balance as by the Statement N^o 4 now enclosed, and [undecipherable] an explanatory charge. A payrole for all the soldiers discharged up to the month of May — I forwarded to you on the first of last December a [undecipherable] role and request you that you would be pleased to signify to me whether you approved of the form and mode of paying the men under those circumstances — as you have not noticed it in either of your letters, I presume [it has] your approbation, and I shall endeavoured require of the Paymaster to make [undecipherable] for the men where received before within that period. M^r [undecipherable]'s subsistence up to the thirty first of last March — I have settled with him to this amount as I enclosed an instance to [undecipherable] him there. [undecipherable] Stark's [undecipherable] account for subsistence from the first of December 1792, to the thirty first of October 1793 inclusively, upon which time he will be paid as the other officers in this company. The Subsistence up to the first of June in two rolls — One for the arrears due in the last [undecipherable] [undecipherable] command of the officers to make one account from this list, which have been brought into one roll, in the said roll — I have therefore mentioned to you the irregular manner in which the officers had been paid their subsistence, and to prevent the same in future I have requested Colonel [undecipherable] to issue an order requiring them to apply to the paymaster for it at the end of each month — The other roll is for arrears of the present year — You will please to observe that Cap. Sedgwick, Lieuts. Nicoll, Clay & Van Allen and [undecipherable] are not included in the first roll; as they are detached their accounts could not be obtained in time — Cap. Martin has nothing due for the last year — Cap. [undecipherable] had received his subsistence from Major [undecipherable] up to the first of June, and therefore has not been included in the second roll. A payrole for the Soldiers discharged in the month of June. M^r [undecipherable]'s account for a quarters salary and subsistence from the first of April to the thirteenth instant exclusively. Ensign [undecipherable]'s receipt for one hundred dollars — Forty eight dollars & ninety cents are advanced to him on account of his pay & subsistence as Ensign — the balance is due to him on the payroles from the first of November 1793 to the thirty first of May 1794. I have made more deductions after I pay [undecipherable] — He accepts his own commission on the twenty second instant. I enclose you an Account Current N^o 3 in which the before mentioned vouchers are charged, except the bills for goods below. They have been already entered in N^o 2 transmitted to you on the tenth of last [undecipherable]. The charge for contingent and incidental expenses, had been inserted that you might know the exact state of my Cash — [undecipherable] charged my salary, I shall do so in my own account. With respect to the credit I have to observe that the sum of eleven hundred dollars was lent to me on the second of November 1793, for the purpose of accommodation. M^r [undecipherable] who was at that time going to the Creek Nation with — he returned the repaid me, and as Colonel Gaither has expressed a wish that it might be carried to his credits in part of the balance due from him to the United States. I have charged myself therewith — I have also received from him the further sum of three hundred and forty four dollars and forty cents with which I have credited the United States — The receipt of the [undecipherable] for the garrisons below. I have expressed in a memorandum on the Account Current. 1 July. Colonel Gaither has delivered to me the [undecipherable] vouchers accounting for two thousand [five] hundred and forty eight dollars and forty cents for which I have given him my receipt, a duplicate whereof is now transmitted — There yet remains in his hands, unaccounted for, the sum of [undecipherable] hundred and ninety one dollars and twelve cents, which is to be deducted for three hundred & forty four dollars and forty cents, which I received of him on the twenty fourth instant — He did not chuse to avail my credit for this money, but he is desirous I should apply this as he says he shall have to use for it to discharge certain contingent expenses, recurring accounts, & — I will therefore represent it to his [undecipherable] as I shall receive the money mentioned in your letter of the twelfth of [undecipherable] at present. I must apply it to pay the discharged men and the officers subsistence for the last month — In the same reason I have not charged my [undecipherable] in the Account Current N^o 3. I shall request that in all future remittances for pay to the troops, you would be pleased to forward more money, if in hundred notes, in those of the smallest denomination. It is impossible to exchange the large ones in the country, and the troops suffer the great inconvenience by this circumstance — When I receive the money you have transmitted, I shall be obliged to avail of a [undecipherable] or loan, and I doubt whether so large a Sum can readily be turned into good money [undecipherable] notes — I will thank you to represent this matter at the Treasury — M^r [undecipherable] who you will see in Philadelphia will also explain to you my difficulties upon this subject. We are in great want of blank muster & payrole [undecipherable] for companies — I will be obliged to you to send some by the first vessel which sails from Philadelphia — [undecipherable] and direct them to the care of Major [undecipherable]. I have endeavoured in [undecipherable] to advise you fully upon every subject which has any relation to your Office — I shall esteem it a particular favor if you would answer it as soon as possible. I am with great esteem Sir Your most [undecipherable] Servant Joseph Howell Esq^r W^m Freeman Act^g [undecipherable] of War A.W.D.