Military pg 212, Niagara April 28th - 99 Sir

I receive this Moment a letter from the first clerk of the Accountants Office with this Paragraph “The Statement forwarded by you for the Pay of the Soldiers employed in the Quarter Master’s Department is inadmissible there is no authorising a Soldier to receive extra pay” I had the direction of the Soldiers employed in the quarter Masters Department at Detroit; Signed their certificates on which they were always paid five doll.rs extra pr Month My Predecessor in this post issued an Order dated Junr 9th which has these words “the quater Master will Settle with pay & woodcutters who are to receive a compensation To Make their Monthly Pay equal to the Artificers finally: - A letter of the Secretary of war dated August 1st 98 has this passage: “With respect to the money due the Soldiers for extra duty, it will be forwarded as soon as Some general regulations Shall be made which will apply to the whole Army”. Resting in Such precedents & encouragement it is a Matter of No Small astonishment to me- to see my expectations overturned by the Stroke of a pen The men employed in the Q.M.rs Department have been nearly all discharged from Service & paid for their extra duty by order of the Quarter Masters which have been bought by English Merchants who look to Doct.r Coffin for the taking up of these orders — Indeed it would be an unprecedented Act of Cruelty to make him buy so dearly the pleasure of Serving the public for nothing Should Captain Bruff Affair -much against my wish Not be carried on - My stay at Niagara should cease to be of consequence to me & in that ease I would taken the liberty respectfully to represent that the State of my health is Such as to induce me to Sollicit to be relieved - At this moment I am So reduced by the intermittent fever that I can hardly walk across my Room -. The Climate of West Point would probably restore me Sufficient Strength to make me fit for Service – In case I should be ordered from here - I would beg besides a Settlement of what would be due me at the time, an advance of a few Months pay to enable me to leave without difficulties a place which is excessively expensive - I do myself honor of mentioning this Circumstance in order to avoid Starting difficulties Should I receive your direction for a charge of Situation The Season for Travelling will Soon be at hard - & I Should wish if possible to perform the Journey if I am to undertake it Either in Six or seven weeks or in case Captain Bruffs affair is to be examined in the latter end of August Next. - I have now Quarters & beds prepared for 150 Men - As to repairs the Number of our Men is so reduced that nothing of Importance can be undertake — With the Most respectfull consideration I have the honor to be Sir Your most obedient & very Humble Servant J J Ulrich Rivardi Majr. 1st Regt [undecipherable] Major General Alex.r Hamilton &a P. S. I received the unwelcome news that I could get no Settlement for the Subsistance of my waiters while I was at Detroit It is an object of 130 Drs for which I have the contractors Due bill - I asked of the accountant whether I could not draw those rations here an expedient which I would adopt although I would by it lose one forth of the Sum - bit I could obtain no definitive answer - I hope you will have the goodness to excuse the incoherencies of letters which I write during a violent attack of head ache — J J U R Major Rivardi April 28. 1799