Fort M^cHenry, December 16 1797 Sir Your letter of the 11^th Ins^t came to hand this day. — The original pay roll for the Month of November is with me, which I added carefully, and in which the name of John Joyce is included, amounting as you have stated to 310 Dollars 4 Cents. — But as it was not entirely fair, I made a Copy of it, and in so doing must have omitted his name and taken the aggregate of the original without running up the Copy. — It is therefore my error, and not any fault of his. — I am Sir your Obed^t Serv^t Stratis Morris W^m Simmons Esq^r A. W. D.