[Address panel: M^r Simmons — [Accoun]tants office / Philadelphia; Washington K[undecipherable] written at margin; postal notations in lower right corner undecipherable] Washington Mason County th 29 January 1798 Sir/ I Received yours of January th 27. 1797 by [undecipherable] Dep. and the Reason I Did not answer it was that I intended To Philadelphia in the Case of last [undecipherable] but was accidently prevented — your Letter of the 8 of November has Just Come to hand — therefore — [strikethrough: Before] that you have laid the business before Congress before this time of to [strikethrough: Thank] thank you to Recommend [undecipherable] any further proceedings on the Business until I Can have an opportunity to Defend my Self — I intend To be in Philadelphia in the Case of next Summer and have Note to M^r [undecipherable: probable reading Macker] a member of Congress on the Subject — being about to Remove that part of the Country Did not pay that Strict attention as I might other wife have Done — my [undecipherable] [then?] at that time Caused me to have Some of my Business Done by the [undecipherable: probable reading Cornal] most in Command who I Spoke no Doubt Can put me to Right in Some manner — Ever one thing is I have paid Every Shilling that I Ever Received from the United States to the person — also [undecipherable] the [undecipherable] and there is no man Complained for [undecipherable] of his money — I Should have thought that this matter and pay Notes was [undecipherable] — without any other Vouchers because if they was not properly attested the money Did not have Been Down — and at the Same time as [undecipherable] Complaint — a Sum of money was Received from the pay master by some person attested [to?] the Receives it and handed it to one which I paid out to the men — Some I took Receipts from and Others I Did not one Receipt for I took for the Rations from a M^r [undecipherable: probable reading Withey] or Some Such a name at [undecipherable] [undecipherable] which Receipt I have unfortunately not [undecipherable] Expect Can get [undecipherable] by applying to him — also I have one in [undecipherable: probable reading Possession] for about [undecipherable] paid to the officer Who Commanded the Rangers others I [undecipherable] only Self without taking Receipts not thinking it was necessary to Do — have been either a Stranger — I Expect you to be a gentleman that would not wish to see an Individual Suffer when no Injury have been Done to the — Publick — therefore must take the Liberty to Request the favour of you to take a Coppy of the matter and pay Notes also for the [undecipherable: probable reading Rations] and Send them to me by post the first opertunity — also write me what is necessary to be Done [and?] C^ost you may be at Shall be paid and Ever acknowledged by Sir — your Most — Ob^t Hum^e Serv^t John J Duvall [Docket: John P. Duvall / received — 13 April 1798 / ans — [undecipherable]]