Elias Langham Esq^r D: of War Accountants Office Agent of Military Store at Sep: 9^th 1795 Shepherds Town Virg:^a Sir For the Arranging and Settlement of your future Accounts at this Office as Superintendent of Military Stores, It becomes my duty to point out to you a System which wills be your guide, and if strictly adhered to, will prevent your personal attendance at any future period in such Settlement. — As your accounts are now settled up to the 31^st of last month, your account of disbursements for the present month is to be rendered at the close thereof, and after that period quarterly. The first Quarter commencing the 1^st of October 179[5]. You are to observe that the receipt only of any person is not considered as a sufficient Voucher for a Payment, but such person must State an Account pointing out the Service or Article for which he charges, to which his signature must be placed; and afterwards receipts on the bottom or back thereof for the Amount and where it happens that such person cannot state his Account or write his name you are to be carefull to have a respectable evidence to his Mark. The following are the principal heads under which you are to arrange your disbursements and the Amounts of the abstracts to be formed under each, will be the Items to be inserted in your Quarterly Account Viz:^t — Pay of Labours. — such as the hire of persons in moving to a small distance all Military Stores; Washing Tents and Blankets, repairing Military Chests and Arm Boxes; and every Article in your department excepting Arms, agreeably to the form of an Abstract Marked A herwith. Articles Purchased — every article purchased for the purpose of cleaning or preserving the Arms &c comes under this Head; observing to specify particularly those Articles that are not subject to immediate consumptions such as Instruments or Tools for repairing Arms, and to be entered in an Abstract agreeably to form B. Transportation — Under this head are Ranked all Arms and Military Stores carried any considerable distance in Waggons or by Water, observing that the Number and Denomination of the Arms are to be inserted in the Abstract agreeably to the Form C. Repairs of Arms. — The number and Denomination with the charges for the Repairs of each denomination to be entered in an Abstract agreeably to the form D. Store Rent and other incidentals expenses not ranked under any of the foregoing heads — are to be enumerated in an Account under the denomination of a Contingent Account, the Amount of which will also be placed as an Item in your Quarterly Account. — As a compensation for your future Services as Superintendent of Military Stores The Secretary of War has determined that you shall be allowed at the rate of forty Dollars p:^r Month, also when actually employed in Collecting Arms and Military Stores in the State of Virginia att reasonable travelling expenses for the Support of your Self and your Horse will be allowed. — I am Sir &c. William Simmons [The abstracts referred to in the above follow in the next pages —] [Abstract form A:] A — Pay of Labours — Abstract of Monies paid by Elias Langham to Labours employed at the Public Magazine at ______ in the Month of ______ 179 [Table with columns: N.^o of Voucher | Dates | For what purpose employed | N.^o of men | N.^o of days | whole N.^o of days | Wages p^r Day D c | Amount Pay Dollars Cents] [Abstract form B:] Articles Purchased. Abstract of Sundry Articles purchased by Elias Langham in the months of ______ 179 for the use of the Public Magazine at ______ [Table with columns: N.^o of Voucher | Dates | Oil Value N.^o ____ D c | Nails Value N.^o Pounds D c | [additional columns] | State Doll. Cents] [Abstract form D:] the month of ______ [Table with columns: N.^o of Voucher | Dates | Cannon N.^o Repairs D c | Muskets N.^o Repairs D c | Rifles N.^o Repairs D c | Pistols N.^o Repairs D c | Swords N.^o Repairs D c | State D c | Dollars Cents] [Abstract form C:] C — Transportation — Abstract of Monies paid by Elias Langham for the transportation of Arms Ammunition &c in the Month of ______ 179 [Table with columns: N.^o of Voucher | Date | Articles Transported — Muskets N.^o / Rifles N.^o / Pistols | Ammunition &c N.^o | from what place Transported | to what place Transported | Amount Doll. Cents]