[Colo [undecipherable] [undecipherable] — 19^th [undecipherable] 3 1796] Greeneville February 6. 1796. Sir I have received your favor of the 2 January ult° and thank you for your Congratulations — Wish you a happy return of many new years, and continuance of all the blessings they bring with them. The Soldiers who have gone off with arrears of pay due to them can be but few Comparatively, they must have left since April May & June, a period in which the greatest exertion was made to enlist the old Soldiers — The business of recruiting required so much money, that it was thought expedient to apply any Shilpens money then had, indeed was a considerable sum, to the payment of the enlarged bounty granted the 2 January 1796. It was some time in July or August again concluded to pay discharged men in [undecipherable] as [undecipherable], which has been done ever since. I inclose to you the copy of a report which General Wilkinson required of me for the information of government. — This [undecipherable: reception] was made in [undecipherable: consequence] of the wide difference which appears between your Calculations and mine with respect to the army pay for 1795. Sam for Your obedient hum[ble] Serv[an]t [undecipherable] P.M. [undecipherable] W^m Simmons Esq^r Accountant. Report of the precise sum of public money on hand destined for the pay and forage of the Troops at Head Quarters, [undecipherable] Knox & Steuben, and Miffac, for June, July, August, September & October 1795 Amount of Cash & receipts ...... 34,900.93½ Note 1^st From the above sum of Cash an advance has been made to Captain [undecipherable] for the garrison of Miffac, by order of General Wayne to be hereafter [undecipherable: formally] warranted (No. Notes [undecipherable]) .......... of ........ 1724. Dr. ... Dt. to sundry officers of the year Staff &n &c of [undecipherable]plymen for 1795. 1606.99. 3.330. 99 Dollars. 31569.94½ Note 2^d There has been also advances made to the sub-legion Paymasters, by direction of the Commander in Chief, for the Prompt payment in [undecipherable] to certain discharged and enlisted men. The periods to which such men are paid, are as various as their numbers. — No other mode could be devised than to anticipate pay [undecipherable] of them, and have them [undecipherable: computed] and warranted, after payment had in fact taken place to the individual — But as the times for which those men are paid, are mostly on back — in the paid months of June July August September & October 1795. — I have not separated those advances from the above amount, but Considered them as so much money on hand. Note 3^rd The 2^d sub-legion & corps of Artillery are paid for June, July, August & September 1795 and the General [undecipherable: Staff] to the 30 November 1795 therefore the above sum is to be applied only to the payments of the [undecipherable] sub-legions for the said months of June July August September 1795 — and I amounts almost to a certainty that it will be barely sufficient for those months — thus it will appear that the sum intended by the accountant for the pay of the army for October, will be applied in Completing the payment of it up to the 30 September 1795. Whatever may be the cause of the difference between my Calculations, and those made by the accountant of the War Department, I am certain that mine are made from the actual muster of the troops, which have been gradually increasing in number since March last — and the estimates made & army pay transmitted by the Accountant has been exactly 144,426 dollars per month from January to October, inclusive, 1795 — a sum considerably less than the real demand — and probably calculated on a return of the army, at a time when it was at its lowest numbers. [undecipherable] P.M. [undecipherable] By [undecipherable] I. Wilkinson Head Quarters Greeneville January 31. 1796.