[undecipherable] Febry [undecipherable] received 22 [undecipherable] [96] West Point, Aug. 12. 1796 Sir. Your favors of the 15^th & 17^th [undecipherable] 30 ultimo, I duly received. I have sent to fort [undecipherable] my duplicate receipts for the 267 dollars, being the pay of the advance detachment for Oct. Nov.^r Dec.^r 1795 and my duplicate receipts for the three thousand dollars for contingent expences in the ordnance department at this Post. I now enclose you the ordnance documents — receipts for their Oct. Nov.^r Dec.^r pay amount 260 dollars & 23 cents. I also enclose you a pay roll for last month's pay for said detach'd. Sir having to pay Lieut Col.^l [undecipherable] Dec.^r is at the expiration of their time of service, the former on the 25 of December, at the latter on the 10 of January, to prevent this being detained on expenses here, obliged me to let them sign written receipts, the printed receipt roll I received the 23 ultimo. For uniformity, the receipt rolls I now send are all dated the 10 ultimo. Sickness of [undecipherable] of my son, about 3 years old, prevented my answering your favors sooner & has prevented my own having ready to send to you a packet of vouchers. There shall not be the last [undecipherable] necessary delay in closing my accounts. I take the freedom of enclosing you for your perusal, a copy of a small correspondence between Col. Rochefontaine & myself relative to the money [undecipherable]. The source [undecipherable] correspondence was my finding after he left the immediate command of his regiment here, he had in view, by his requisitions on me for materials [&] to prosecute the plan of building [undecipherable] other houses [&] having other work done for the accommodation of himself & regiment, to the amount of the [undecipherable] expences, as told me, of about 5 or 6000 dollars. As [undecipherable] stated to [undecipherable] been furnished by him for the money, I received it my duty to write to him a letter, of which N° 1 is a copy. Also enclosed, N° 2 is copy of his answer, & N° 3 is my reply to his answer. The originals of this copy, [undecipherable] letter from the Secretary of War, I referred to in my letter N° 1, was dated November the 21. 1795. I am, with great respect, Sir, Your most obedient Humble Servant, [signature] Will. Simmons Esquire. [67] North Point, January 29 1796 Sir, The proceeding is a copy of a letter from the Hon. the Secretary of War, the 30 [undecipherable]. I soon attended at [undecipherable] on receiving the original directed to [undecipherable] from [undecipherable] and he made report, for the [undecipherable] by his directions to the Secretary of War and also, his [undecipherable] in failure to make the [undecipherable], agreeable to his letter. I then applied to the Secretary of War for [undecipherable] done for the ordnance department by my directions, in a letter from me, directed to the hon, acknowledged to be a receipt for his letter, of which the [undecipherable] [undecipherable] in general Johnson, gave me, for [undecipherable] and him. I had not shown his letter. Here are on my behalf [undecipherable] of the moneys the [undecipherable] from the Secretary. I now sent him [undecipherable] [undecipherable] to hold me [undecipherable] dollars more would be sufficient to answer his affairs in every [undecipherable]. The manner in [undecipherable] of the Mr. [undecipherable] with his [undecipherable]. This [undecipherable] now dollars there are six hundred, for ten dollars which you brought me, in those 1000 dollars. That being my [undecipherable], a letter [undecipherable] to the Post from the War. [undecipherable] are in the hands of Col. Fish of New York, for me. His 1000 dollars [undecipherable] I am obliged to obtain a sufficient to [undecipherable] the debts contracted for the United States to about the [undecipherable]. I am doubtful of whether these four [undecipherable] will be [undecipherable] [undecipherable]. On estimates being sent to the Secretary of War & the money deposited in my hands with his [undecipherable] from him authorizing the use it as to be [undecipherable], I will be responsible, in what the Accountant mentioned in his letters to me [undecipherable] for any public money. The due [undecipherable] of it. I have been under the very [undecipherable] [undecipherable] of [undecipherable] several times considerably large sums of money to [undecipherable] the advancing of the [undecipherable] the [undecipherable] Engineers from being stopped. Estimates regularly furnished [undecipherable] the money deposited in my hands for [undecipherable] making purchases of the material with a [undecipherable] of the money under my direction, to answer my every [undecipherable] requirements. [undecipherable] is [undecipherable] forward, at all times [undecipherable] to [undecipherable] with the [undecipherable] regiment, [undecipherable] for good order [undecipherable] of my absence, to have them here [undecipherable] may be the reason to send an estimate of what it would cost. I have the honor to be, with good respect & esteem, Sir, your most obedient Humble Servant, [signature] Col.^t Rochefontaine Com.^d [undecipherable] States [undecipherable] & Engineers — North [undecipherable] The following is a copy of a [undecipherable] from [undecipherable] Rochefontaine to [undecipherable] in answer to the above. North Point, January 29 1796 Sir, I received your letter [undecipherable] yesterday with the copy of a letter of the Secretary of War of the 21^st of November 1795 by which he [undecipherable] of the [undecipherable] within. The details of the [undecipherable] [undecipherable] with the money [undecipherable], and to have [undecipherable] in claims [undecipherable]. The object to which [undecipherable] preparations [undecipherable] and to [undecipherable] the [undecipherable] that had never before, and at the [undecipherable] I did not [undecipherable] it as having any [undecipherable] to that object [undecipherable]. [undecipherable] [undecipherable] in future [undecipherable] and to procure in the manner, some information to the Secretary of War of the former proceedings [undecipherable]. I never [undecipherable] I have nothing to do with [undecipherable] Major [undecipherable] in his instructions from the Secretary to do it [undecipherable] will give [undecipherable] an account [undecipherable] the estimate of what is to be done. I will do it as soon as I have some documents to regulate my calculations upon, a [undecipherable] Magazine I consider [undecipherable] [undecipherable] and a set of Military Stores. Either by [undecipherable]. the stone [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] a letter with [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] of [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] I am with great Esteem Sir your most obedient [undecipherable] servant [signature] The following is a copy of a letter from Gy. Fleming to Col. Rochefontaine in answer to the above. North Point, [undecipherable] [undecipherable] 1796 Sir, [undecipherable] January, I received [undecipherable] your letter [undecipherable] [undecipherable] to give you a letter [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] relative to the [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] by your directions to you having [undecipherable] the immediate command of [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable]. I find that [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] all the [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] and [undecipherable] to [undecipherable] Clinton. Good [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] at [undecipherable] [undecipherable]; [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] Stores [undecipherable] [undecipherable] — [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] and his house [undecipherable] about [undecipherable] hundred [undecipherable] [undecipherable]. The [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] expences of the [undecipherable] and [undecipherable] [undecipherable], must [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable], at all [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable]. [undecipherable] make a [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] can [undecipherable] me to [undecipherable] [undecipherable] by [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] in the season. [undecipherable] has [undecipherable] been sent. [undecipherable] [undecipherable] engaged to be [undecipherable]. [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] an estimate [undecipherable] for your house. I asked him to make a calculation how much money it would amount to, then deliver it to you. If his calculation meets with your [undecipherable] [undecipherable] forwarding the estimate to [undecipherable], forward it to the War Department, request the money to be immediately allowed to me. I have the honor to be with great respect. Sir your most obedient humble servant, [signature] Col. Rochefontaine Com.^d the Corps of [undecipherable] Engineers, North Point