D of War Accountants Office July 10^th 1795 The Secretary of War Sir In answer to the enclosed letter from Major Lewis Toward on the subject of the money placed in the hands of Doc^t William Lauster, I informed him that he would be instructed by you what steps would be proper to be taken with him — It may therefore be necessary to give you a state of the fact. Viz: On the 14^th of June 1795 William Lauster a Surgeon [undecipherable] in the service of the U. States, and stationed at West Point, was in this City; and being immediately to return to that place, he therefore, did Receive from this Department of War, a Warrant for the sum of three thousand dollars, to be by him delivered to Capt George Fleming at West Point for the Incidental and contingent expences of the War Department at that post; At the time he received the Warrant he was directed to apply to the Banks to get a draft on the Bank of New York for the Amount, which he promised he would do, and that Capt Fleming should have the Money in 24 Hours from the time he arrived at New York. Col. [undecipherable] having arrived in this City from West Point about the latter end of June and informing, that Doc^t Lauster had not then arrived there, created a suspicion that some accident might have happen'd to him, upon which I thought it proper to make enquiry at the Bank to see in what manner he had received payment for the Draft — M^r Davidson the Teller informed me that when Doc^t Lauster applied for payment that he demanded the whole in Specie, but M^r Davidsons making some objection to furnishing so large a sum in Specie, he at length agreed to take a post Note on the Banks of New York for 1100 Doll^rs and the balance in Current [undecipherable] Specie, — it then appeared doubtful to me whether he had gone to New York or intended to Apply the Money in the Manner directed. I then went to the Stage Office where he lodged and found that he went off in the Stage for New York on the morning of the 20^th June upon which it was thought adviseable that I should proceed to New York in pursuit of him, which I did, and frequently heard of him on the road by his [undecipherable] of having charge of a large sum of Public Money, and at many places was very careful of it, frequently opening and leaving his trunks in the Stage — on my arrival in New York, I went to the Bank to know whether the drafts for the 1100 Dollars had been paid; which I found was done on the 24^th June when he endorsing it payable to the Bearer, but the endorsement being so unusual one and M^r Burrell the Cash^r not taking the appearance of the person who presented it directed that a receipt should be taken from him who appeared to be one Ebenezer Goss a Shoe maker living in the City of New York — I was also informed at the Bank that M^r Lauster was seen at a very dissipated Ale House the evening, or two before in Company with a number of lewd Women, and that he appeared to be very flush of money upon this information I thought it proper to apply at the Office of the attorney General for advice, where I was informed that the most proper way to proceed would be to have a Writ taken out for him and that Major [undecipherable] the Marshall should attend me at the places most likely to find him, and that if he would not return the money to me on my application, that the Marshall should then serve the Writ on him and hold him to Bail for the whole or any part of the money that he should be deficient — our Search for him was fruitless we however found the Shoe maker who received payment at the Bank for the Draft of 1100 Dollars who informed us that the Doc^t had the evening before sailed for West Point — upon this information I immediately wrote to Capt Fleming at West Point to know if the Doc^t had arrived there and had paid him the money, upon which Capt Fleming & Major Toward sent an express off to New York to me and informed me that he had arrived there, and not delivered the Money by 301 Dollars, which was deficient. I therefore did not think proper to with draw the Writ, but if it should be your pleasure that he should be tried by Court-Martial for the breach of trust and ungentleman like