Lieu^t Ferdinand L Claiborne              Accountants Office Richmond. Virginia.                          December 12 1797 Sir I have received your letter of the 5 inst enclosing duplicate rec^ts for Bounty paid. Your letter of the 21 Ult^o covering Muster & Pay Roll of your recruits I duly received, but was prevented from acting thereon, in consequence of being informed in the War Office, that you had received no authority to muster your men but that steps would be taken to have them mustered, when this takes place and the muster & Pay roll come forward properly authenticated the amount will be duly remitted. The duplicate receipts for bounty paid, contained in your last letter will with those last received be placed on file, subject to an examination when a Settlement takes place. I am y^r                                W Simmons                                    Acct^t