[D^t Etroit 20 Sep^t 1797] Sir Agreeable to a General Order and consonant to my own wishes I have detailed my matters to Officer by Cap^t M^cBird for the winter, who I have, two to the corps of Artillerists & Engineers North West of the Ohio. — When I commenced the duty of Pay Master the troops were almost always more than in arrears & were doing duty in the different Posts from Fort Washington on the Ohio to Michilimackinac on lake Huron a distance of at least five hundred Miles, and neither the corps are not larger nor the payments heavy. Yet the fatigue and labour of traveling so large a tract of country is very considerable — I have charged late Dun[undecipherable] extra pay to Pay Master at the [undecipherable] in they Caprolls at the [undecipherable] [undecipherable] him the [undecipherable] were not made out till I took former precedent for my Guide Which it [undecipherable] will be a Variation — I was furnished by the Pay M^r Gen^l with the being of the complete ration at the different Posts agreeable to the contract from the 1 July 96 to the 9 May 97, Which directed me in the paying of the officers Subsistence, and as the price of the ration was lowered on the 8^th March 97, the overcharges Marked in the Abstract I do expect will not be taken of me (as I did not know the law) but will be entered against the Gentlemen who received the money of me as their Receipts Well cover the payment. I inclosed to you on the 30 Nov^t 96 from this place an acc^t against the united States for Eighty Seven Two Dollars in my favor, I have not learnt Whether it has come to your hands or not — Would you be so Kind [strikethrough: as] to let me Know? — A list of the absentees I have made out With the proper remarks, I have responded to Ofwan [undecipherable] Ninety five dollars for absentees which are found in the 1 Reg^t by Gov^r Hyde — and on Stateing the acc^t I find a Balance of Nine dollars & 13 Cents in my favor — Which I shall Charge in my Next acc^t — I Have for the honor to be With the highest esteem y^r mo. Ob^t. Hum Ser^t — James Sterritt D^t a d^j & D^t Pay M^r [W^m Simmons Esq^r. Accountant D W.]