Issues for the Paymaster at West Point
Document 1796Discusses topics raised by Freeman in a previous letter, including the claims lodged against the "military chest" by the individuals of a Corps for money owed to them by a soldier, the books and papers of the paymaster, the pay of a doctor, and the accounts of several officers and soldiers.
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Letter Book B
Accountants Office, War Dept
From July 27, 1796
To Apr. 7, 1797
William Simmons, Accountant
Joshua Wentworth Esq.
Supr New Hampshire
Department of War
Accountants Office
March 14th 1796.
Sir
Your letter of the 4th Instant enclosing your Receipts for 59 45/100 dollars I have received which will be [strikethrough: passed to your Credit] entered accordingly on the Books of this Office. — I am Sir Yr.—
William Simmons
Samuel Meredith Esquire
Treasurer of the U.S.
Department of War
Accountants Office
March 14th 1796,
Sir
Enclosed is a Receipt of John Habersham Collector of the Customs for Savannah in the State of Georgia amounting to one hundred and ten Dollars also a Warrant for that sum, being for the Incidental & Contingent expenses of this Department to which the Receipt is to be annexed agreeably to the request of the Comptroller of the Treasury. —
I am Sir Yr
William Simmons
John Chester Supr
Weathersfield,
Connectt.
Department of War
Accountants Office
March 14th 1796,
Sir
The Treasurer will remit you the sum of 235 45/100 dollars which please pay to Capt Edward Miller at Middletown being for the pay of himself and men for the Months of January and February 1796 for which sum you will please take his Receipts to be accountable for the due application thereof. —
I am Sir Yr. —
William Simmons
Capt Edward Miller
Middletown
Conn.t
Department of War
Accountants Office
: March 14th 1796
Sir
John Chester Esq Supr of Connecticut will pay you the Sum of 235 45/100 Dollars being for the pay of yourself and men for January and February 1796 for which sum you will sign duplicate Receipts to be accountable for the disbursement thereof agreeably to enclosed receipt Roll. The pay of Peter Carlton is not up on the Pay roll; not knowing to what time he has Paid to at Head Quarters of which you will please, and the certificate of the Paymaster — If there has [been] expenses in the apprehending of George Hooper you will Stop his Pay to the amount thereof, notwithstanding he is not up in the Pay Roll, and inform the Account thereof. The pay of James Trowbridge has been deducted from pay Roll — he stands charged on the Books of this Office with 20 dollars which he received in advance at Head [Quarters], which if in your power you will please try [to have repaid].
I am Sir Yr. —
William Simmons
His Excellency
The Governor of Virga
[...B R?]
Department of War
Accountants Office
March 14th [1796]
Sir
The Account and vouchers for Pay and Subsistence of the Militia, Pay of the Scouts, and incidental expenses for the protection of the Frontiers of the [State] of Virginia in the year 1795 transmitted by your Excellency to the Department on the 26th January last as mentioned in your letter of that date to the Secretary of War, have been duly examination in this Office and are now adjusted. The [amount] appearing due is five thousand five hundred and forty one dollars and ninety eight cents differing from that Stated by Mr [undecipherable] one hundred and [sixty] four cents owing to Sundry deductions as will appear by the enclosed Statement.
It may be necessary to mention that the above deficiency principally arises on account of the Claims for Services in 1793 and 1794 being rejected, for it was understood, the last Settlement with the State of Virginia for the Pay & of her Militia in the Protection of her frontiers included all claims of that nature to the latter end of the year 1794, and it would now be very improper to have to revise or reexamine that Settlement, when most of the same charges are produced that Should have been brought forward previous to that Settlement, many charges in that amount although not properly Authorized or vouched having been admitted under the idea that it was to be a final Settlement up to the date above mentioned.
It will be necessary that you draw an order for the amount now due, which will immediately be paid on your authorizing some person to pass his Receipt for the same. —
I am Sir Yr. —
William Simmons
Nicholas Fish Esq.
Supr New Yorke
Department of War
Accountants Office
March 16th 1796
Sir
The Treasurer of the U.S. will remit you the Sum of twenty eight dollars and ten cents which you will please to pay to George Fleming at West Point being for the pay of a detachment of the 1st Sublegion Stationed at that Post for the Month of February 1796 for which sum he will sign duplicate Receipts to be accountable for the due application thereof. —
I am Sir Yr. —
William Simmons
Nathaniel Gorham Esq.
Boston
Department of War
Accountants Office
March 16th 1796.
Sir
I have received your letter of the 2nd Instant enclosing your receipt for 88 20/100 Dollars which will enable me to pass the amount allotted to in my letter of the 23 ult. —
I am Sir Yr. —
In the absence of W. Simmons
Peter Hagner
George Fleming Esq.
West Point
Department of War
Accountants Office
March 16th 1796 —
Sir
I have received your letters of the 10 & 11 Inst together with their enclosures which will put [them] under examination — as soon as possible and the money for the pay of the Ordnance Men remitted through Nicholas Fish Esq. Supervisor, as usual. I will refer that part of your letter as relates to your salary to the Secretary of Wars agreeably to your request and you will be informed of the results. —
I am Sir Yr. such absen[ce] of Wm. Simmons
Peter Hagner
Edward Carrington Esq.
Supr. Richmond,
Virgina.
Department of War
Accountants Office
March 16th 1796.
Sir
The Treasurer will remit you this sum of 43 45/100 dollars which you will please pay to William [undecipherable] Esqt at Norfolk, being for the pay of a detachment of [Artil]lists of Engineers stationed at Fort Norfolk under the command of Sergeant Robert Hedges for January and February 1796 for which sum you will please take his Receipts to be accountable for the due application thereof. —
I am Sir Yr. —
William Simmons —
William Graves Esq.
Norfolk, Virga.
Department of [War]
Accountants O[ffice]
March 15th [1796]
Sir
Edward Carrington [Esq.] Supervisor of Virginia will pay you the Sum of 43 [dollars] 35 cents, being for the pay of Sergeant Robert Hedges [and] the detachment under his command for January [and February] 1796 for which sum you will sign duplicate Receipts to be accountable for the disbursement thereof, agreeably [to] the enclosed Receipt Rolls. —
I am Sir Yr. —
William Simmons
Capt Daniel Brill.
Department of [War]
Accountants [Office]
March 17th [1796]
Sir
Your accounts and Vouchers Pay Master, are now under examination, your attendance will therefore be indispensably necessary as it will greatly facilitate the Settlement thereof; for which purpose you are hereby requested to attend at this Office as you possibly can make it convenient. —
I am Sir Yr. —
William Simmons
Abram D. Orr, Esq.
[Supervisor?]
Department of the [War]
Accountants [Office]
March 17th [1796]
Sir
I have examined the Muster Rolls of Col. Harrison's Regiment of Artillery and can find the Name of Edmond Brooke inserted on either [Roll?], or that any person of that Name, ever served as an [Officer?] of that Regiment, if it should hereafter appear that [Mr.] Brooke has a Claim for services, no claim havin[g] agreeably to the acts of Congress the same would now be barred and foreclosed from settlements. —
I am Sir Yr. —
William Simmons
Samuel Hodgdon Esq.
Supr of Military Stores.
Department of War.
Accountants Office
March 17th 1796
Sir
On the examination of Mr [George?] Fleming's account it appears that he has paid to Henry A. Williams the sum of 226 16/100 for 20 days Inspecting the Ordnance and Military Stores at West Point at the rate of [undecipherable] p. day and has allowed him 2 6/7 p. week for Board during [the] same period, Mr. Fleming says he employed him conformably to Instructions from the Superintendant of Military Stores, you will therefore please furnish me with a Copy of those Instructions. —
I am Sir Yr. —
William Simmons
Daniel Stevens Esquire
Charleston [South] Caroa
Department of War.
Accountants Office
March 18th 1796
Sir
Agreeably to the information given you in my letter of the 18th Ulti. I examined your Accounts which have been settled at the Treasury and find that you have been allowed commissions of 1 ½ % on all Monies expended which are proper to be settled there, and they have deducted from your Commissions on receiving and paying Monies from this Department to be settled here, accordingly your account for that charge has been examined and the Sum found due you from the 27th June 1794 to 31 December 1795, being 37 Dollars & 94 cts agreeably to the enclosed Statement you will receive from the Treasurer of the U. States to whom you will forward one receipt, and another to this Office. —
I am Sir Yr. W. Simmons
George Fleming Esq.
West Point.
Department of W[ar]
Accountants O[ffice]
March 18th [1796]
Sir
Nicholas Fish Esq. Supr of New York will pay you the Sum of 78 Dollars & [undecipherable] being for the Pay of a detachment of the 1st Sublegion stationed at West Point for the Month of February 1796 for which you will sign duplicate Receipts to be accountable for the due application thereof. — On examination an error has been discovered in the pay of John Day and Israel Law[rence] former being 7 Cents and the latter 10 Cents too little. It has been corrected and you will accordingly take notice of it in the receipt Rolls. —
I am Sir Yr.
William Simmons
Nehemiah Freeman Esq.
Temp. Pay Master
West Point
Department of War
Accountants O[ffice]
— March 18th [1796]
Sir
I have just time to acknowledge the Receipt of your letters of the 1st & 11th Inst. owing to the press of business am not enabled to answer by this days Mails — but shall do it fully by Saturday Post. —
I am Sir Yr.
In the absence of W[m]. Sim[mons]
[Peter] H[agner]
Col. S. Rochefontaine
West Point
Department of [War]
Accountant[s] [Office]
March 18th [1796]
Sir
I have received your [letter?] of the [undecipherable] Instant, and owing to the present press of business am unable [to attend to] it by this days mails but will attend to it fully by the [next].
[I am &c. by?]
[In absence of W. Simmons]
Robert G. Harper Esq.
in Congress.
Department of [War]
Accountant[s] [Office]
March [undecipherable]
Sir
Col. Rawlings commanded a Regiment of Flying Camp, the Soldiers were engaged under the Act of Congress of 3rd June 1776 their time of Service was to expire on the 1st December 1776, the greater part of them were taken at Fort Washington on the [16th] 1776 and many of whom after there capture were [at liberty] to go home[.] The payments to these men were generally by the State whose quota they belonged to, besides have been made by the the U. States to the Colonel the Regiments as was customary at that time and by [them] paid over to the Captains of the Companies who paid it out to the men agreeably to abstracts, without taking individual receipts. It therefore cannot be ascertained whether John McNeal a Soldier in Capt Philemon Grif[fin]'s company did receive all or any part of the pay due[,] there being no Return of payments or Muster Rolls of the Flying Camp of the State of Maryland in th[is Office,] if it Should hereafter appear that any thing is due it cannot be admitted, all claims not filed within [the time] limits by Law being barred and foreclosed [from] Settlement. —
I am Sir Yr. —
William Simmons
Mr John Field
Mercht
Department of [War]
Accountant[s] [Office]
March 19th [1796]
Sir
I have received a letter from William Power wherein he informs me that he has [directed?] you to pay any balance that Should appear against [him] on the adjustment of his accounts with the United [States,] accounts have been adjusted and the balance against [him] is Three hundred forty two Dollars and Twenty eight cents which sum you will be pleased to pay to the Treasurer of the United States in order to finally close his accounts on the Books of this Office. —
I am Sir Yr. —
William Simmons
Caleb Swan Esquire
Greenville
Department of War.
Accountants Office
March 19th 1796.
Sir
I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letters of the 14 December, 19 January & 6th February with their enclosures — I have stated to the Secretary of War agreeably to the information contained in your letter of the 14 December, the necessity for drawing immediate Supply of Money to liquidate you certain advances [from?] the Quarter Masters and other Departments &c and to make good the deficiencies of Estimates — which he has hitherto declined doing — not knowing the extent of the amount you will be enabled to draw for.
I am continuing to advance Mrs Greaton Money on account of her Husband's Pay — indeed She seems to depend upon the usual Supply of 90 Dollars every quarter you may therefore calculated [up]on my paying that Sum and continue to make Stoppages from Capt. Greaton accordingly. —
Enclosed for your government a Schedule of the Warrants drawn in continuation from the 22nd of December 1795 to the 8 of March 1796 Inc. —
I am
Sir Yr
William Simmons
Type
Author's Letterbook Copy
Description
Discusses topics raised by Freeman in a previous letter, including the claims lodged against the "military chest" by the individuals of a Corps for money owed to them by a soldier, the books and papers of the paymaster, the pay of a doctor, and the accounts of several officers and soldiers.
Date
03/19/1796
Author
Recipient
Document number
1796031921755
Note
Cited in Freeman to Simmons, 04/02/1796.
Notable persons
Nehemiah Freeman
William Simmons
temporary pay master West Point
legal representative
deceased soldier
Kersey
Lieutenant McClallen
Sergeant Harris
Captain Morris
Doctor Griffith
officer
congress
commanding officer
deserters
Notable locations
West Point
New York
Notable items
military chest
claims
muster
chest
pay roll
receipt
apprehending
reward

