Autograph Letter Signed

Quartermaster's Department Business

Accounting for clothing drawn by wagoners who moved General Washington's baggage to Virginia. Sale of public public buildings and property. Settlement with creditors. Payment of Assistant Quartermaster. Discuss method of payment for persons hauling wood at West Point. Payments to officers in lieu of transporting their baggage. Speaks of officers having received no pay for six months and no subsistence for the last month.

1784

01

12

Newburgh

Samuel Hodgdon

Timothy Pickering

wagoners

General Washington

Colonel Fitzgerald

David Wolfe

Mr. Quackenbush

quartermaster at Albany

creditors

Mr. Lovell

Mr. Morris

officers

General Knox

the gentlemen

Newburgh

Virginia

Philadelphia

Albany

West Point

baggage

clothing

account

settling

money

quartermaster

public buildings

property

payment

public debts of 1782 and 1783

settlements

partial payments

five thousand dollars

office

most exact estimate

notes

amount

current services

pickets

principal magazines

persons

whole amount

notes

cash

return

permission

larger sum

sleighing

reasons

money

baggage

feelings

urgent representations

liberal allowances

home

begging

extreme distress

pay

subsistence

I have been under the necessity of engaging persons to haul in the wood cut for the garrison of West Point.

1784011280001

1

246
Samuel Hodgdon [undecipherable]
Newburgh Jany 12. 1784
D. Sir,
Some of the wagoners who drove the baggage of General Washington to Virginia have returned hither. It seems they drew clothing of you in Philadelphia for which they were to account on their return, but they have not done it, nor have I any account of the clothing they drew, which has made some difficulty in settling with them. Be so good as to send that account and to inform whether any and what money they have received of you or Col Fitzgerald, directing your letter to David Wolfe A.L.M. at this place [editor's note: previous word looks like "places"]
Mr. Quackenbush[sp], the quarter master at Albany, has sold the public buildings and property there and in his district towards the payment of the public debt of 1782 & 1783. It is necessary that he should complete the settlements with all his creditors there, especially where he has made partial payments. He supposes about five thousand dollars will do this but he is to send to my office the most exact estimate he can make, which when examined is to be transmitted to you to endeavour to obtain Notes to the amount. At the same time I shall be happy if a thousand dollars in notes can be sent to Mr Wolfe for current services, as I have been obliged of the notes I last received to make some payments which had not occurred to me: for instance of near five hundred dollars_
247.
dollars to one person for pickets funished last fall to enclose the principal magazine at West Point and I have been under teh necessity of engaging persons to haul in the wood cut for the garrison of West Point at one dollar p. cord; the whole amount of which will be upward of six hundred dollars. For this reason I shall take with me about a thousand dollars in notes to get exchanged with Mr. Lovell for cash and bring it with me on my return. I have [undecipherable] I had Mr. Morris's permission to bring a larger sum (in case the flayhing holds) [editor's note: flaying = "to strip of money or goods; fleece"] to be disposed of as he should direct. For the same reasons which of late have prevented my receiving any cash at Philadelphia will probably continue.
A larger portion than I expected of the money I last received has also been paid to officers in lieu of transporting their baggage. I was prompted by my own feelings and General Knox's very urgent representations, to make the gentlemen very liberal allowances; as essentialy requisite to enable them to travel home without begging or extreme distress. They have recd. no pay these six months nor any subsistence for the last month.
I shall write you from Boston & Salem: in the mean time I remain,
Your friend & Servant
L. Pickering L.M.G. [editor's note: not certain of these initials]