[Lieu^t D. Hale to / Col. Rochefontaine / March 12. 1796] Col. Rochefontaine Commanding Art^y [undecipherable] March 12^th 1796 I take the liberty to represent that Henry Stotts of Capt [undecipherable] the fifth company, was tried by a court martial sometime in December last & convicted of having sold or lost sundry articles of public property & was sentenced to reimburse the United States by stoppages of his pay. I know not the amount of the sums to be stopped— but it appears that his whole pay has been retained, which he conceives to be a hardship, as it deprives him of the means of procuring any necessaries for his comfort & appears to be contrary to the 5^th Art. 12^th Sect of the articles of war. I am respectfully Sir your very obedient servant D. Hale Lieut & Adj^t Col Rochefontaine Com^dt of the Corps of art^y & Eng^rs Com^ds A & E [It is probable that it is this mistake that the whole of H^t Stotts pay has been [undecipherable] [undecipherable] contrary to the 5^th sect. of the 14^th [undecipherable] of the art of war the [undecipherable] of the [undecipherable] will therefore be [undecipherable] future by halves agreeably to the foregoing article. Step Rochefontaine]