406. adjust their accounts if they had [undecipherable] have been able to explain to them that their Claim was not Well founded and that if they had been settled with according to the Act of Congress they Speak of (Viz 11^th Feb.^y 1779) which must be understood to be Continental Money and Subject to be reduced agreeably to the Scale at 8 for one, they would have given them but 4 Dollars P^r Month. but Congress finding that this Sum would be inadequate to their Services did by their Act of the 19^th of December 1782 allow them 12 Dollars P^r Month. at this time it was understood to be Specie — they have been Settled with by the Commissioner of Army Accounts at that rate. their present Claim is for the difference between the 12 dollars which they have received and the Sum which they Suppose they were entitled to by the Act of 11 February 1779. The January Instant, Jacob Beck and Solomon Strick of the Same Payment and Situation, exactly as the foregoing petitioned the present Congress which petition was referred to the Committee of Claims who Sent it to me for information and upon which they founded their Report a Copy of which is herewith enclosed Regarding the Claim which was agreed to by Congress. I am of opinion that Several of the Same persons now applying are those whose Claims was Rejected by Congress as above. Jno [undecipherable] William Simmons [undecipherable] Esq^r Department of War [undecipherable] Accountant's Office West Point January 30^th 1795. The Pay bills of the [undecipherable] at and Engineers at West-Point up to 31 December [undecipherable] have been examined, and the amount found due being 353[undecipherable]/84 dollars [undecipherable] agreeably to the within list of attestations will as usual be remitted to Nicholas Fish Esquire Supervisor New York — him to remain Subject to your Order for whole Sum you will [undecipherable] hold accountable. and will give your duplicate Receipts [undecipherable]. The Receipt Bills and Vouchers accompanying your letter of the 18^th Instant have been examined and found right — [undecipherable] rolls accordingly be entered to your Credit. The amount of the Subsistance allowed the Officers have been deducted from the Pay Bills, to be paid by you out of the unappropriated Money in your hands, but before you make the payment the account must be Sworn to before the Commanding Officer of the Fort — this is a rule of Office and is not [undecipherable] dispensed with. — — The account of [undecipherable] Cadet has been deducted — as he is to draw [undecipherable] the same as a [undecipherable] — all Cadets being by law placed on the Same footing. He may therefore receive from the Contractors any Such values that may [undecipherable] to him. In future when the Officers have returned Rations due them they may after their accounts are Stated and Sworn to, deduct them to you, after which you may make out an Abstract Shewing the names of Such Officers, the periods for which they charge, and the amount due them, and transmit the Same here and the Money will be [undecipherable] on the Abstract. — you returning the Accounts until payment is made, and [undecipherable] Receipts thereon which will be considered as Vouchers for the payment. I have agreeably to your request forwarded the [undecipherable] price of Clothing and Arms. you will receive a Schedule thereof enclosed for your government, in making the deductions from [undecipherable] James Wells & Theo^s McBride. The pay which was due these men before they deserted a [undecipherable] [undecipherable] of any Sentence of a Court Martial. This will therefore form no part of the deduction ordered to be made from them [undecipherable]. I have examined the Recruiting account of Captain [undecipherable] but dont find that he charges any bounty paid to [undecipherable] Thomas [undecipherable] again; you may therefore pay James [undecipherable] the amount [undecipherable] together with the premium for enlisting him — and pay the 408. Him his additional Bounty — Inform me the [undecipherable] and amount that you may take a receipt thereon for the [undecipherable]. I have now to acknowledge the receipt of your letters of the 22^d, 25^th, 26 Instant the Contents of which I have [undecipherable]. I then informed Col^l. [undecipherable] claim that it has [undecipherable] not been customary to allow Officers for pay on these occasions. however it is requisite to inform these gentlemen who have had [undecipherable] Claims to make out their accounts and present them, because when a question will be taken on the propriety of admitting them. — In reply to your letter of the 22, I have to observe that any Monies which are taken from the Regimental Chest other than those received from this Office ought to be [undecipherable]. The advance Stated by you for [undecipherable] Instruments is [undecipherable] accounts of that nature are not Settled at this Office — when any Articles are wanted application should be made to the Secretary [of the] Department. — All Monies advanced from this [undecipherable] are to be appropriated to certain purposes, and when the Service requires that they should be applied by the person to whom they are advanced to different Objects then was first contemplated It has been thought necessary to inform [undecipherable] the Subject to this Office, and if the charge is proper. The person is directed to [undecipherable] the money accordingly. But in an instance of any [undecipherable]'s Clothing is [undecipherable] money which he receives from the Department to items of expenditure which are not proper to be Settled [undecipherable] This is the Case with the advance mentioned by you. Convin[undecipherable: ced] that you might be unacquainted with the Rule of Expenditures that are proper to be Settled here I thought proper to advise you in a former letter that before you make payment of an amount other than for which you received money [undecipherable] from This Office. You Should forward it here for [undecipherable]. This move tho it delayed the payment of an account a few days Yet as it will prevent any Objection being made to your Accounts after you have expended the Money. I have thought it the most advisable. — I don't conceive that your Conduct has in any instance been the least [undecipherable: reprehensible] — on the [undecipherable]