[Fincastle Dec^th 10^th 1797] [Addressed: Mister William Simmons, Accountant, Phd] Sir Fincastle Dec^th 10^th 1797 I do myself the honor of acknowledging the receipt of your letters of the 30^th of Jany and the 2^d of November last and should have answered the former long since but postponed it time after time in hopes of having so[me] tunity of geting my trunk of papers from Kentucky which contains a number of vouchers absolutely necessary to enable me to close my accompts with the public but have been unfortunate in not geting it — I am as anxious as any man upon earth to have my accompts finally adjusted I have written to the Secretary of war for permission to go to that state for them for the purpose above mentioned in order to resign. & as I have determined on the latter and unwilling to do it while such immence sums stand charged against me on in hopes I shall be indulged — I will give me great pain to be placed on the list of delinquents circumstanced as I am well satisfied I am intitled to credeit and not having it in my power to send on the several receipt rolls which you must be convinced I have paid no officer or soldier ever calling for money that ought to have been paid them by me however as it is a law of Congress I cannot expect to be exempted from it but hope they will consider that I was ordred to this place and not at liberty to leave it for my papers — I wrote you in the course of the summer respecting Joseph Southwell [Drumgould] in my detachment who no pay was forwarded to owing to a mistake he is noted in the receipt role reenlisted and discharged the same day but the fact is the reverse his turn of service for the first three years expired on that day the Reenlisted and has served ever since in my detachment as will appear by the Muster Rolls — There was a ballance of the money sent to pay the detachment under my command that remained in my hands twenty dollars of which I paid him which will complete his pay up to the first day of July 1797 from the first of march in the same year as will apear by the receipt role this I hope will be admitted to my credit on the reception of the role which I herewith transmit to you You wil oblige me by acknowledging the receipt of it I am Sir your Mo Ob^t Hble Serv^t W^m [undecipherable] Cap^t 4^th US Regiment [M^r William Simmons Acc^t]