Author's Letterbook Copy

Request for pay for Captain James Wilson

The author examines the request for pay for Captain James Wilson and, after a thorough examination of the records, finds the request unwarranted. Indeed, Wilson may have been given more pay than was due him.

1776

12

06

Contains Pay Orders from Irvine to Mease and Caldwell 12/06/1776, 02/01/1776, 04/04/1776

William Irvine

Joseph Howell

Mease Caldwell

Capt. James Willson

General Thompson

1st, 2d, 4th & 6th Regiment

Officer

Non-Commissioned Officers

Privates of the 6th Regiment

Jos. Trumbull

Mr. Murray, Commissary of Prisoners at Quebec

Colonel Hartly

prisoners commencing 1st May and ending Oct. 1, 1776

Quebec

the Originals lodged in this office

two months pay

5 months pay of the officers

3 months pay of the non-commissioned officers and privates

examination of the accounts

receipts of Colonel Hartley

strict examination

credit given on the abstracts of those officers

the day of his exchange

the foregoing state of facts

Treasury of the United States

Board of Sundry Officers

If Capt. Wilson is only to pay to the day of his exchange the foregoing state of facts clearly proves that more money has been drawn from the Treasury of the United States than was due him for pay

1776120621901

102

102
Carlisle December 6th 1776
Gentlemen
Please to pay Captain James Willson two months pay for me from the 1 of October to the first of December [Undecipherable]
Oblige
Gentlemen
Col 2 months _ 37.10
Your Humble Serv
Capt 2 d[Undecipherable]...20
Wm Irvine Col. 6. Pen a. Reg.
Mefs. Mease & Caldwell,
Philadelphia December 10th 1776, Received from Mease & Caldwell fify seven pounds ten shillings in part pay of Colonel Irvine Hmyself.
James A Willson [Undecipherable]
[Inclosed] 6th. P.B -
Indorsed This is to certify that General Thompson received from Mease and Caldwell the pay due to, Colonel William Irvine & Captain James Willson of the 6th. Pennsylvania Battalion to the first day of October last for Mease & Caldwell
Dec. 9th 1776, Voucher No 4587
Robert M Knight
Gentlemen Please to pay Captain James Willsonthree hundred
X
and six dollars and 2/3 on account of his and my own pay as yet unsettled and you'll oblige.
Gentlemen your humble servant
Wm Irvine Coll
7. P.B
[undecipherable] Mease V Caldivell
February 8 1777
Received from Mease V Caldivell payment of the above voucher no 4588 by James Willson.
Sir
I will be much obliged to you if you will draw my pay from the first of February last till the time you leave Philadelphia - I am Sir yr humble serv
Wm Irvine Col
7. P Ry
To Capt James Willson
voucher no 4508 Carlisle April 4th 1777
Philadelphia April 16th 1777
Received from Mease V Caldivell two hundred and thirty Dollars in part of pay due Col Irvine and myself - both of the 7th Pen Ry l
James A Willson
[All the rest of the document is undecipherable]
104
Sir
I have subjoined three orders given by you on Mease Haldwell in favor of Captain James Willson with the receipts [undecipherable] taken from the originals lodged in this office by the first it appears by a note on the original that Captain Willson received two months pay. The two latter does not [undecipherable] what part was received as his proportion of pay. General Thompson received of Mease Haldwell the sum of £1344,17.6 for pay of the officers non commissioned and privates of the 1st,2nd, 4th and 6th Regiment who had been prisoners commencing 1st May and ending [undecipherable] 1. 1776 of this sum he paid into your hands £825.5 for 5 months pay of the officers and 3 months pay of the non commissioned Officers and Privates of the 6th Reg. I find on examination of the accounts of Jon A Turnbull P. Mr G of the [undecipherable] army that the pay of the officers from the 1 May to 1 October has been twice drawn from the United States it appearing by receipts of Colonel Hartle bearing date the 7th November following he recd of Mr Turnbull pay of the Regiment for that period and on a strict examination I do not find any credit given on the abstracts for those officers
105
who were prisoners if Capt Willson is only entitled to pay to the day of his exhange the foregoing state of facts clearly proves that more money has been drawn from the treasury of the United States than was due him for paying Mr Murray commissary of prisoners at Quebec makes a charge for the board of sundry officers but as he does not particularies their names I cannot ascertain whether Capt Willson was of the number (undecipherable).
You will please to observe that your own pay has also been twice drawn from this [undecipherable] May to the 10th October 1776 a question arises whether the officers have received their pay of Colonel Hartly it will be thankfully received.
Having a much larger number of papers to examine than I had reason to expect will I flatter mysef apologise for my not giving you information yesterday as was promised by [undecipherable] Your &c

J E Howell Jr

General Wm Irvine