[Freeman to Accountant WD 3-1-1796] Sir: I have received from you 2 letters dated the 20th inst. I am happy in obtaining whatever will point out the boundaries of my duties. Of the ordersorders which I have received from the Commandant some are intricate and contradictory, others are pointed and severe. I have ventured on some occasions to make mention of your directions and have heard in reply that he not you was Lt Col. Commandant of the Corps and as such was by the Paymaster to be implicitly obeyed. The last money which you transmitted for the pay of the troopswas according to his orders lodged in the regimental chest by Mr Freeman in his private capacity, the Commandant observing that Mr Simmons might remit the money to a corporal if he pleased but the paymaster was an officer of his appointment and must act under his control. Although I do not wish to remain long in my present office I think it incumbent on me to mention some of the circumstances which in my opinion tend to create confusion. Whoever has claims against any individual of the corps are directed to lodge them in the hands of the paymaster in order that they should be paid out of what is due them and he is to retain their pay if they refuse to discharge them " I have now lodged in my hands demands in small sums to the amount of nearly 300 dollars. Of these claims some are honestly incurred but by far the greater part at gaming debts, suttlers amounts and notes of hand given at the rate of 7 dollars for six received. The nature of these claims have been presented to the Commandant who replied it was nothing of my business if the men choose to pay them. I have been directed at sight to pay a dead mans debts,afterwards to transmit to your office the proofs of all his debts and [strikethrough: fri] finally to wait til the adjutant had drawn up his proces verbal. I have been ordered to lodge with the Commanding officer at Governors Island the pay due at the end of February due to a detachment lately marched thither. This however I have declined and the detachment was paid for the month of December by Capt Morris at New York out of the money received there. The books and papers of the paymaster are to be deposited in the regimental chest, locked by three keys, kept by 3 different persons, so that a reference to any of them would be extremely troublesome and mistakes if any arise difficult to trade The monthly company muster rolls have been repeatedly denied me and in consequence the regimental muster and pay rolls have for these tw months past been very late transmitted to your office. The men are ordered to be paid within a very short time or the payment is delayed from day to day to that few can be paid at once. The regiment hereafter is to be paid 4 times a month instead of one. It is extremely painful to enumerate these circumstances and nothing but a sense of duty could extort them from me. I am perhaps mistaken but they have appeared as difficulties to me and it would be but fair that my successor should know that they are to be surmounted. I understand that it is contemplated to allow by law a paymaster to the Corps. When the act is passed I shall decline my present appointment and the office will be desirous to enjoy the same priviledge as those in the western army. I have paid the bounty to Capt Blackburns recruits. Nat Freeman