S^ir Belle Canton 12^th December 1797 Your letter bearing date 19^th Aug^t Came to hand the 7^th Instant Only — I enclose a Certificate from the paymaster of my Regiment Respecting the Charge of Eight Dollars, You Advanced me in June 1796 which I hope will be Satisfactory — Respecting the Other Charges I am perfectly Ignorant the Mistake must have Originated in the War Office, as I never had any Money of Daniel Britt, It is possible as there was a Lieu^t Rob^t Thompson of the 1^st Regiment, and M^r Britt being the paymaster of the same, that Induces me to think that the mistake must have Arose there as I deny Ever Receveing Any of the Monies Stated in Your Acc^o Excepts the Eighty Dollars which the enclosed Certificate will I hope be Satisfactory I am Sir with Respect Y^rs Rob^t Thomson Col^o L^t U.S. Reg^ts [Address leaf: William Simmons Esquire / Accountant War Dep^t / Philadelphia] [Postmark: Knoxville Oct 13 1797] [Administrative notation, upper right, partially undecipherable: Rec^d 1797 / [undecipherable] / adm [undecipherable]]