West Point February 7^th 1796. Sir, M^r Freeman, as you may see by the inclosed note of his, has communicated a letter that he received from you respecting his proceedings as a Pay Master to the corps of artillerists & Engineers; you approve his regularity, and good order in doing business, and I declare here that I do myself approve of it also; and that in bestowing my Elogium upon him, I reprove the Principle upon which you, M^r Freeman and myself are acting; for, a subaltern doing the duty of a Staff officer of a Regiment ought to be entirely and wholly under the orders of his superior officer, [underline: and not as far as it lies in his power, which in the case of the included letter signifies, as far as another Superior will permit.] Such a thing in Service is a Monster, which cannot exist. to give to the Pay Master an existence after your Ideas, let him be chosen by you or by the Secretary of War, [strikethrough: in a civil capacity not] out of the Line of the officer, and you will not hear on that subject utter another word. he will receive your orders on the forms that you will chuse to adopt; and I will Subscribe, and cause every body in the corps to be submissive to the regulations you will please to adopt; and to transmit to your [strikethrough: that you will think] agent with the corps. if you Suppose the Law respecting the organization of the Corps still Existing, and one or many Pay Masters Chosen by me, or by [underline: any other Person,] among the officers of the corps, you must adopt the way pointed out by the Sec^t. of War — the formation of a Council council of Administration in which the Pay M^r. is a Member, & at the same time the agent of the Regiment. the responsibility of those persons instead of one offers at least as much Security to the U.S. as one, who is not of your own chusing, and whom the court may remove at Pleasure; you may be certain also, that any mismanagement in the council, would soon be discovered, for every officer passing by the absence of others, in the Council, would have an opportunity to see by the Books, how his predecessors had acted before him. another observation in your letter which I beg leave to differ with you in, is respecting the 6 Dollars kept from every recruit untill his joining the corps — the Law don't say that those 6 Doll^s. will be kept from the recruit after his joining, [underline: untill the recruiting] [strikethrough: improved to that efficiency] officer who enlisted him has settled his account; but it is my duty to insist on those complaints of the Soldiers being removed, and this Back Pay made up. the reason for their being kept off viz^t. the Settlement of account of their officer, cannot be made use of under no pretense whatsoever, [strikethrough: as a cause for the Soldier being kept from their money] nothing ought to be mentioned to them that can lessen the confidence of the Soldier in their officer. altho I am Differing with you on opinions upon Some points I wish you would be persuaded that it does not influence in any thing the Sentiments of Esteem and respect with which I am Sir, your ob^t. Serv^t. P.S. Step: Rochefontaine Send me back the letter of M^r. Freeman Lt col. comd^t. of y^e. corp & the regulation of the Sec^t. of War — of art^s. & Eng^rs. W^m Simmons — Esq^r. act^g. for the War dep^t. P.S. inclosed you will find a report respecting Jourdan Kersey, a Mulatoe Inlisted contrary to the regulation of the Sec^t. of War respecting the recruiting Service — the man has been mustered, but it has caused So much uneasiness amongst the men, that he has never appeared on parade under arms or in any other way. — I did not think my duty to muster him as a waiter, for the Law don't contemplate Such beings in the Service; those granted to the officers to assist them, are not dispensed with their Military Duty, they are only excused of Daily guard. I'll be glad you would mention the matter to the Sec^t. of War — the Soldiers would not even suffer him to wear his regimentals, and no clothing has been issued to him since 3 months that he is entitled to a New Suit. --- Sir Lieu^t M^c Callens com-:manding the Company of Cap^t. M^c Bee having represented to you at the day of Muster the Case of Jourdan Kersey an Inlisted Soldier in his Company. I have made the enquiry you requested; & find he is a Man of Colour, duly inlisted in the Company of Cap^t. M^c Bee & retain'd as a Waiter by L^t. Rowan West Point. Feb^y. 3^d. 1796. From Sir [referred to the Secretary of War's Your ob^t. Hble decision, but not mustered as Soldier.] Z. Nortn. Lovele Step: Rochefontaine lt col. comd^t. of the corps of art. &Eng^s. Adjutant—