Instructions to Stephen Hillis, Deputy Pay Master and Storekeeper for Tennessee. Sir, You are hereby and with the approbation of the President of the United States, appointed a deputy Pay Master and Storekeeper of all public property in the State of Tennessee South of the Ohio. Your duties as a deputy Pay Master are pointed out to you by the rules established by the Comptroller of the Treasury, herewith delivered you together with the explanations of the Accountant of the War department. You will observe as general directions. — 1. To require the Pay Abstracts from the several commanding Officers of the Companies or detachments of regular Troops and Militia in the Service of the United States, in the State of Tennessee or within your department (authorized by the general Government) and to compare the same with the returns or Muster Rolls which shall accompany the said Pay Abstracts. 2. To certify accurately to the Agent of the War department in Tennessee, the Sums due to the respective Companies or Detachments, which shall have been examined as aforesaid. You will inform the commanding Officers of the several Companies or detachments, that triplicate Muster Rolls must be exhibited to you monthly, agreeably to Form A. certified either by an Inspector or by two Senior Officers, in case two shall be present, or in such other manner as may be prescribed to you by the Agent of the War department. In these Muster Rolls are to be included all the persons belonging to the respective Companies or Corps, whether absent, on— on command or Detachment. The Muster Rolls certified in one of the modes prescribed are to be considered as indispensable Vouchers to the Pay Rolls without which no Roll is to be received for examination. Triplicate Pay Rolls are also to be exhibited monthly for each Company or detachment according to the annexed Form B. — Possessed of the aforesaid documents it will be your duty to compare the said Pay Rolls with the Muster Rolls to ascertain the Sums that will be due thereon. This done, you will certify accurately on each Set of Pay Rolls, the Sums to be paid, one Set of which you will deliver to the Agent of the War department for his Government in the distribution of this Money. In examining the Pay and Muster Rolls agreeably to the forms marked C. and D. you are to be critically attentive that pay is not drawn on two Pay Rolls for the Service of the same Persons. You will refer to the Pay Rolls of the Companies or Corps from which Men were detached, for the purpose of correcting erroneous Entries. The Certificate to be annexed to these Rolls will be the same as that annexed to Form B. These regulations you will apply to the Services of the Troops, subsequent to your arrival. I presume that the Agent of the War department is or will be put in possession of the Pay and Muster Rolls for previous Services. These you will also examine, and certify to him, antecedent to his making payment. In the conduct of this business the greatest attention will be necessary on your part to prevent Errors. Errors. From the experience you have had in the Accountants Office you must know the difficulties which arise in the examination of Pay Masters Accounts in case of Errors. That you may know what Militia Services will be entitled to pay, I here annex a copy of a letter to Governor Sevier explanatory thereof. Where charges are made by Militia, for their Rations, you will enquire whether the detachment or party was provided with Rations by a Contractor or Commissary; if so, and the Individuals could have drawn Rations, they are only to be paid the Contract Price. It is when no provision for furnishing a party with Rations has been made, or where Provision has failed, and the party undertakes to furnish themselves, that those who do furnish themselves are to be allowed the ration price stipulated by law. Besides adjusting accounts of the description above alluded to, you will also consider it to be a part of your duty to examine and certify to the Sums actually due upon all accounts or demands, of what nature soever, against the United States, which the Agent of the War department has authority to admit and discharge. As Storekeeper of the Public property, you are to consider yourself accountable for its safe keeping and delivery, according to your Instructions. You will therefore in the discharge of this duty be governed by the following general Rules. 1. For all property placed under your Superintendance, you will give a receipt to the person delivering it; and make out and file for transmission, a duplicate Receipt of same Tenor and date, and a Triplicate to be lodged with the Agent above named. 2. You will require duplicate Orders for the Articles you deliver, and will deliver no Article of public property without such such Order signed or countersigned, by the Agent of the War department; which Order must specify for whom the Article or Articles are designed. Your Books must exhibit what Articles you have received, what Articles you have delivered, and to whom; of course they will shew at all times, the Articles and quantities on hand. In raising your accounts you will refer the Articles to the following general heads. [underline: Quarter Masters department.] — This will include all things relative to the Transportation of Troops or Stores, by land or water, Barracks, Wood, Utensils of Quarter Master, Artificers, Camp equipage, Cavalry horses and Equipments and forage; from whom received, and to whom delivered. [underline: Ordnance department.] — This will include all Ordnance and Stores necessary or appertaining thereto, and generally all arms, ammunition and Accoutrements; from whom received and to whom delivered. [underline: Cloathing department.] — This will include all cloathing for the Troops from whom received, and to whom delivered. [underline: Indian department.] — This will include all goods and Supplies for the Indians; from whom received, and to whom delivered. [underline: Commissaries department.] — This will include all Aliments for the Army; from whom received, and to whom delivered. [underline: Hospital department.] — This will include all all Medicines, Chirurgical Instruments, hospital Stores, and furniture, from whom received, and to whom delivered. It is required as an indispensible duty, (any failure in which, will forfeit the confidence of the President) that you transmit once every Month, to the Secretary of War, the duplicates of the receipts given for Articles placed in your keeping, and the duplicates of the Orders upon which deliveries of them have taken place. And further, it is necessary, and required, that you should transmit to the Superintendent of military Stores, a quarterly Return of the Stores received, delivered, and on hand, agreeably to the annexed Form N^o 1. You have also annexed two Forms N^o 2 and 3 regulative of the mode for keeping your accounts. If a more detailed System, conformably to these principles, should appear necessary, you will adopt it. The Agent of the department of War will have directions to furnish you with such letters, or Instructions, from the Secretary of War, relative to the admission of Claims, or accounts as have reference to your establishment. You will reside at Knoxville, keep your Office in one of the rooms of the Buildings belonging to the Public; and deposit in the same Building all property of a public Nature, of which you are the Superintendent. You will consider yourself under the direction of the Agent of the department of War, and will govern yourself by his directions, so far as the same may be in conformity with these Instructions. You may employ a Man to assist in receiving and delivering, and taking care of the public Stores, at wages not exceeding one hundred dollars p^r Annum. The The Gun Powder will from time to time require a particular attention. To enable you to preserve it fit for use, you will observe therefore or cause to be observed the annexed Instructions relative thereto. Should any Armourer or Artificer be employed to repair the Arms belonging to the United States by the Agent of the department of War; all Muskets, Bayonets, Rifles &c delivered to them to be repaired, are to be receipted for in the same manner as any other Article of public property, and the person made responsible for their re-delivery to the Storekeeper. The sum of Forty thousand, nine hundred and thirty two Dollars and fifty two Cents will be delivered to you to discharge the Pay of the Militia &c which you will deliver to M^r Henley, the Agent of the department of War, and take his receipt for the same. Your Salary will be at the rate of five hundred Dollars p^r Annum, and commenced the 17^th Ultimo. Given at the War Office of the United States, this thirteenth day of August, one thousand, seven hundred and Ninety Six. — signed, James McHenry Sec^y of War.