Westpoint February 29^th 1796. Sir, I received your note respecting your wish to meet with the approbation of the accountant in getting well authenticated Pay Rolls from the captains of comp^s I have not the least objection to either of your wishes, for altho I do not agree with the accountants Ideas upon many points of administration which are devoid of all Military Ideas, and which break thro the line of subordination, without which a corps is a mere mob collection of Men, useless to its own country, and generally an unsupportable burden to the Government and to the citizen, yet I admire M^r Simmons's wish to establish good order in the use of finance, and I will always second him in whatever bears that Stamp. I am adding to the order of yesterday respecting the Muster Rolls, that to every captain or commanding officer of companies, to make a Pay Roll of their companies, mentioning not only the Pay due for the month of February, but the back pay if there is any due, also the complement of Bounty due to the men. these pay Rolls will be handed to me, examined with the Muster Rolls, certified by me and handed to you for the forming of the General Muster & Pay Roll. the individual Pay Rolls will afterwards be lodged in the Regimental Chest, as your vouchers and mine, to be recurred to, whenever it is necessary, by whomever has a right to call for the communication of the same. I am with great Esteem, Sir, Your ob^t Ser^t Step: Rochefontaine L^t. Col. com^dg. Kea Lieu^t & Pay M^r Freeman