Sir West Point Oct. 20^th 1796 I have received your notice that the Accountant had deducted ten Dollars from my account for bring-ing up the money for the payment of the Corps and of Lieu^t Vischer's Detachment of Infantry, for the months of June & July last. I can not conceive upon what principle it is, that the deduction has been made. If three different persons had been sent for the three several sums, I brought up on that occasion, I am safe in presuming the Accountant would have had no hesitation in allowing each ten Dollars Dollars. At your desire I waited in New York at a heavy expence for the July pay after the arrival of that for the month of June which I conceive was no part of my duty as an Officer, nor was it any part of my duty to rode my horse, at my own expence in search of such denominations of money as was required to facilitate the payment of the Reg^t. and I conceive it no part of my duty to make myself personally responsible for so large a sum of public money, to convey such a distance when an accident might be attended with ruin to my reputation, with out [strikethrough: more] further compensation than ten Dollars. It was your opinion the charge of 20 Doll^s was moderate, and it is my opinion I am justly entitled to it, and if the Accountant should not think proper to allow it, I shall decline receiving any part from him, and to enable me to seek it from another source I request you previous to my requisiting the amount to obtain my account from him which has been receipted, and which will not be required in that case as a record in his office. — I am respectfully Sir your obed. Serv. Strahs. Morris [address:] Lieu^t. N. Freeman Temp. Pay Master to the Corps of Arty.