Regarding pay in arrears, the costliness of recruiting, discrepencies in pay estimates
Document 1796Happy new year. Soldiers in arrears of pay are few, comparatively speaking. Business of recruiting requires more money. Addresses the difference in calculations of pay between Simmons and Swan.
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Greeneville February 6. 1796.
Sir I have received your favor of the 2 January ulto and thank you for your Con= gratulations - 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, yet these must have left us in 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 ex= pedient to apply any [undecipherable: probable reading "Spilpen"] money then had, indeed was a comfortable 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 full as usual, which has been done ever since.
I enclose to you the Copy of a report which general Wilkinson required of me for the information of government. - This [undecipherable] was made in [undecipherable] of the wide [undecipherable] which appears between your Calculations and mine with respect to the army pay for 1795.
I am Sir
Your obedient humble Servt
C Swan P.m. Pur.
Wm Simmons Esqr
Accountant.
[Endorsement: Calb Swan / recing — 19th [undecipherable] / Aug 3 1796]
Report of the precise sum of public money on hand destined for the pay and forage of the Troops at Head Quarters, [Forts?] Knox & Steuben, and [Mifac?], for June July, August, September & October 1795.
Amount of Cash & receipts...... 34,900. 93½
Note 1st
From the above sum of Cash an advance has been made to Captain [undecipherable] for the garrison of [Mifas?], by order of General Wayne to be hereafter formally warranted ([undecipherable])...... 1724.
Dr ... to sundry officers of the year
Staff &c & of [undecipherable] for 1795 1606.99. 3,330. 99
Dollars... 31,569. 94½
Note 2d
There has been also advances made to the Sub legion Paymasters by direction of the Commander in Chief, for the prompt payment in full 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 ro[lls?] of them, and have them certified 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 these advances from the above amount, but Considered them as so much money on hand.
Note 3d
The 2d sub legion & corps of Artillery are paid for June, July, August & September 9d and the General Staff to the 30 November 1795 therefore the above sum is to be applied only to the payments of the [1. 3. 4.] sublegions for the said months of [undecipherable] June July August September 1795 - and [undecipherable] 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 30th September 1795.
Whatever may be the Cause of the difference between the Calculations, and those made by the accountant of the war department, I [undecipherable] 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 114,426. dollars per month from January to October, inclusive, 1795. a sum considerably less than the last demand - and probably calculated on a return of the army, at a time when it was at its lowest number.
[Caleb Swan] P.m. Pur.
[Byou?] I. Wilkinson
Head Quarters Greeneville
January 31. 1796.
Type
Autograph Letter Signed
Description
Happy new year. Soldiers in arrears of pay are few, comparatively speaking. Business of recruiting requires more money. Addresses the difference in calculations of pay between Simmons and Swan.
Date
02/06/1796
Author
Recipient
Sent from
Greenville
Document number
1796020670101
Page start
1
Note
Cited in Simmons to Swan 03/19/1796
Notable persons
William Simmons
Caleb Swan
Brigadier General James Wilkinson
war department accountant
Notable locations
Greenville
War Department
accountant's office
Philadelphia
Notable items
pay
recruiting
estimates

