Lieut.^t Nehemiah Freeman J.P. No. West Point Accountants Office May 6^th 1797 Sir I received your letters of the 2^nd & 3^d Ins: the first enclosing the account of Francis Payne for balance of Bounty due him, and the last the Claim of Henry Clarke for writing in the Office of the Adjutant and Paymaster. The first account you will please to pay out of any monies in your hands — The last is of a nature unprecedented here — In cases where Soldiers have done any duty of this kind they have been excused from doing military duty, which has been considered as a sufficient indulgence for the labour, and no claim for Compensation has as yet made its appearance before this — If Clarke has been excused from duty the claim is inadmissible. If not you may pay him and let the future terms be excuse from Military duty The accounts are returned inclosed to you Cap.^t Littlefield has received his Pay at this Office for the Month of October 1796. I am &c. W^m Simmons Acct