Payrolls and Accounts from West Point
Document 1796Discusses the West Point payroll Freeman has submitted and the muster rolls required before the payroll can be acted on; also discusses the disposition of two accounts submitted by Freeman - one for Lieutenant David Hale for carrying the mail.
100%
⇣No human transcription currently available for this document.
This transcription was generated by machine using Anthropic's Claude Code (a mix of sonnet and opus models). It may contain errors or inaccuracies. Please verify against the document image. Learn more about our generative AI methodology.
Letter Book B
Accountant's Office, War Dept
From May 27, 1796
To Apr. 7, 1797
William Simmons, Accountant
Joshua Wentworth Esqr
Supt New Hampshire
Department of War
Accountant's 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 &c —
William Simmons —
Samuel Meredith Esquire
Treasurer of the U.S.
Department of War
Accountant's 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 &c
William Simmons
John Chester Supt
Weathersfield
Connectt
Department of War
Accountant's 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 &c —
William Simmons
Capt Edward Miller
Middletown
Conn.t
Department of War
Accountant's Office
March 14th 17[96]
Sir
John Chester Esqr Supt 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 been 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 [it repaid] —
I am Sir &c —
William Simm[ons]
His Excellency
The Governor of Virga
[Sir?]
Department of War
Accountant's 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 this Department on the 26th January last as mentioned in your letter of that date to the Secretary of War, have been under 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 [deficiency]; from that deducted by Mr [undecipherable] one hundred and sixty four dollars and fifty four cents owing to Sundry deductions as will appear by the enclosed statement[s].
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 is understood, that the last Settlement with the State of Virginia, for the Pay &c 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 renew or re-examine that Settlement; which must be the case if 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 &c
William Simmons
Nicholas Fish Esqr
Supt of New Yorke
Department of War
Accountant's Office
March 15th [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 &c —
William Simmons
George Fleming Esqr
West Point
Department of [War]
Accountant's [Office]
March 15th [1796]
Sir
Nicholas Fish Esqr Supt 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 Lauren, 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 &c —
William Sim[mons]
Nehemiah Freeman Esqr
Tempy Pay. Master
West Point
Department of [War]
Accountant's [Office]
March 15th [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 &c —
In the absence of W[illiam] Simm[ons]
Colt S. Rochefontaine
West Point
Department of [War]
Accountant's [Office]
March 15th [1796]
Sir
I have received your letter [of the] 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 [War] [undecipherable]
[Nathan?] Gorham Esqr
Boston
Department of War —
Accountant's 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 alluded to in my letter of the 23d [ult]. —
I am Sir &c —
In the absence of W Simmons
Peter Hagner
George Fleming Esqr
West Point
Department of War
Accountant's Office
March 16th 1796
Sir
I have received your letters of the 10, by 11 Inst. together with their enclosures - which will put under examination - as soon as possible and the money for the pay of the Ordnance Men remitted through Nicholas Fish Esqr Supervisor, as usual — I will refer that part of your letter as relates to your salary to the Secretary of War agreeably to your request and you will be informed of the result. —
I am Sir &c In the absence of
Wm Simmons Peter Hagner
Edward Carrington Esqr
Supt Richmond
Virga
Department of War
Accountant's Office
March 16th 1796.
Sir
The Treasurer will remit you this sum of 43 [undecipherable] dollars which you will please pay to William [undecipherable] Esqr at Norfolke being for the pay of a detachment of Artillery [undecipherable] 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 &c —
William Simmons —
William Graves Esqr
Norfolk
Virga
Department of [War]
Accountant's [Office]
March 15th [1796]
Sir
Edward Carrington [Esqr] Supervisor of Virginia will pay you the Sum of [undecipherable] 55 Cents being for the pay of Sergeant Robert Hed[ges] [and] the detachment under his command for January [and February] 1796 for which sum you will sign duplicate Re[ceipts] to be accountable for the disbursement thereof, agreeably [to] the enclosed Receipt Rolls. —
I am Sir &c —
William Sim[mons]
Capt Daniel Bull
Department of [War]
Accountant's [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 soon as you possibly can make it convenient. —
I am Sir &c —
William Simm[ons]
Abram D. Orr Esqr
Department of [War]
Accountant's [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 entered on either 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 having
agreeably to the acts of Congress the same would now be barred and foreclosed from settlement. —
I am Sir &c —
William Simmons
Samuel Hodgdon Esqr
Supt of Military Stores
Department of War
Accountant's Office
March 17th 1796
Sir
On the examination of Mr. George [undecipherable] Fleming's account it appears that he has paid to Henry A. Williams the sum of £26.16.0 for 26 days Inspecting the Ordnance and Military Stores at West Point at the rate of 16 s/6 p/day, and has allowed him 26/ p/week for Board during the same period; Mr Fleming says he employed him conformably to Instructions from the Superintendent of Military Stores; you will therefore please furnish me with a Copy of those Instructions. —
I am Sir &c —
William Simmons
Daniel Stevens Esquire
Charleston for Care [undecipherable]
Department of War
Accountant's Office
March 18th 1796
Sir
Agreeably to the information given you in my letter of the 18th Ulto I examined your Accounts which have been settled at the Treasury and find that you have been allowed commission of 1 Pt on all Monies expended thereby are proper to be settled there, and they have deducted 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 87 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 &c W. Simmons
Robert G. Harper Esqr
in Congress
Department of [War]
Accountant's [Office]
March [1]7th [1796]
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[?] [part] of them were taken at Fort Washington on the [16th] [November] 1776 and many of whom after their capture were [unable] to go home; the payments to these men were generally by the State whose quota they belonged to, besides [there] have been made by the U. States to the Colonels of 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 him, there being no Return of Payments or Muster Rolls of the Flying Camp of the State of Maryland in this [Office]; if it should hereafter appear that any thing is due, it cannot be admitted; all claims not filed within the time limited by Law being barred and foreclosed [from] settlement. —
I am Sir &c —
William Sim[mons]
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 &c —
William Simmons
Caleb Swan Esqr
Greenville
Department of War
Accountant's 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 your 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 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 9 of March 1796 Inc. —
I am
Sir &c —
William Simmons
Type
Author's Letterbook Copy
Description
Discusses the West Point payroll Freeman has submitted and the muster rolls required before the payroll can be acted on; also discusses the disposition of two accounts submitted by Freeman - one for Lieutenant David Hale for carrying the mail.
Date
03/24/1796
Author
Recipient
Document number
1796032421755
Note
Cited in Freeman to Simmons, 04/02/1796.
Notable persons
Nehemiah Freeman
William Simmons
temporary paymaster West Point
Lieutenant David Hale
Lieutenant Geddes
Treasury
Notable locations
West Point
New York
accountant's office
Notable items
mail
muster rolls
accounts
appointments
enlistments
pay roll
contingent expenses

