served as a volunteer, and may entitle him to any allowances given to such characters; but as the grant of commutation is founded entirely on actual appointments, it is necessary that he prove such appointment was given to him again after leaving his late regiment. This opinion considers his right only as an officer, but should those of a Canadian be distinct from the rest of the army, it may not be properly founded. I have the honor to be your obedient servant, President of Congress. JOHN PIERCE. NEW YORK, August 29, 1785. SIR:-The commissioner for settling the army accounts, to whom was referred the petition of John Buchanan, lately employed in the Quartermaster's department, begs leave to report-That his prayer for depreciation cannot at present be granted, Congress having in no instance given it to officers in that department; that his claim for pay and rations from August 21, 1778, to August 4, 1780, appears properly to come under the consideration of the commissioner appointed for settling the accounts of the Quartermaster's department, who is already invested with sufficient authority to finally liquidate the same; that his claim for a proper allowance for his maintenance, in consequence of a wound received in battle, arises from simple testimony, produced by him, that he received this wound in his right arm and shoulder in meritorious service, wherein he, with eighteen boatmen under his command, killed and took prisoners a party of twenty-five British new levies; and that this wound has almost totally deprived him of the use of that right arm. Your commissioner therefore submits that he be considered as comprehended within the benefits of the ordinance of Congress of June 7, 1785, providing for those that have been disabled in the service, in the same manner as if he had been a Captain in the line. obedient servant, I have the honor to be your President of Congress. JOHN PIERCE. BALTIMORE, Sept. 20, 1785. SIR-I was from home when your letter of the 14th July was left at my office. It is not in my power to give you any satisfactory account of the money received by the Baron De Kalb in the year 1780. Captain Marbury of the Maryland line acted at that time as Quartermaster to the Maryland division of the army, and probably received some part of it; but I think it improbable that the regimental clothiers, forage-masters, or commissaries had much of it in their hands; they were constantly with the troops, and we seldom encamped where there was any thing to purchase. In my opinion, the Baron expended the principal part of the money, or left it in Philadelphia, for clothes and other articles to be forwarded. I am your obedient servant, JOHN PIERCE, Esq., New York. O. H. WILLIAMS. CHARLESTON, S. C., Sept. 15, 1785. SIR-I have to acknowledge the receipt of your favor of the 14th July, and am sorry I cannot furnish you with the information you wish, having none of the orderly books or papers relating to that campaign by me. I do not recollect the names of the staff officers you suppose the money might have been advanced to, but believe Captain Joseph Marbury was the Deputy Quartermaster and Captain Roxburg the Commissary, both of the Maryland line. General Smallwood is now in Maryland, to whom I would recommend you to apply for information, and make no doubt he can acquaint you fully on the subject. I have the honor to be, with respect, your obedient servant, MORDECAI GIST. JOHN PIERCE Esq., New York. DECEMBER 15, 1785. SIR :-Some time last summer I inclosed a furlough given to me by Colonel Baylor, wherein he mentions I had one from General Greene, which I know he kept when he granted mine. Be pleased to be so very good as to say what can be done. Colonel Charles Magill will bring whatever you may honor him with. I am, sir, yours, ANDREW DUNSCOMB, Esq., Richmond, Va. ALBION THROCKMORTON, STRATFORD, April 18, 1786. SIR-I received yours of the 8th inst. Agreeably to your request, as also that of General Lamb's, I have forwarded to Mr. Bull a return of the men in my company who received the State bounty of £10, with my attestation thereon; likewise I have inclosed a similar return to you with General Lamb's account on the back— that is, a copy, being taken from his account stated with me and balanced, as will appear. This contains the whole of the bounty received from State or Continent. I have all the men's receipts to show for the receipt of the same, except John Fite's, who, I am pretty positive, received said bounty of £10 of Lieutenant Hughes, but I do not find his receipt said Hughes had the note of me for that purpose. That makes the twenty-five recruits which I paid. said bounty to, agreeably to which General Lamb credited me at the time, as you will see. Also you will perceive I paid, or delivered to Captain Andrew Moody, four of said notes, for which he has credited me in his accounts. This, sir, comprehends the whole. I am inclined to believe that Captain Mott, as well as Moody, has a number of these notes. I am, dear sir, with respects to your family, your obedient servant, ROBT. WALKER, late Captain of Artillery. Col. ELEAZER OSWALD, New York. SALEM, July 21, 1786. SIR-Inclosed you will receive my account with the United States, and I must request your kind attention to it. By reason of sickness, I have delayed my account to this time, but hope you will be able to settle it; and if any vouchers are necessary, please to inform me. But I must inform you that as I lost my baggage on the retreat from Ticonderoga, my receipts were all lost. I have the original minutes, which I then kept in my journal agreeable to each receipt. Having the journal in my pocket at that time, I preserved it. I have inclosed Paymaster Ebenezer Storer's certificate. Please to bear in mind that by the act of Congress interest is to be allowed from April, 1779. I am, sir, your most obedient servant, SAMUEL CARLTON, Lieut. Col. JOHN PIERCE, Esq., P. M. Gen., New York. RICHMOND, July 23, 1786. SIR-Understanding that your office closes on Saturday, and finding that my claim as Aid-de-Camp to General Lee cannot be liquidated here, I have ventured to solicit the favor of you to examine into its merits, and forward the result as speedily as possible. I was appointed as Aid to General Lee in May, 1778, and continued until his suspension. I was at that time a Captain in the 15th Virginia regiment. My father, John Turberville, has a claim for a wagon, team, and negro, which were impressed in 1778, and never returned to him. If this will serve to stay his claim, I will forward on the exhibits to prove the impressment, &c., which, if they were not at a distance, should be forwarded by this post. I have the honor to be, with much esteem, your obedient servant, GEORGE L. TURBERVILLE. JOHN PIERCE, Esq., P. M. Gen., New York. JULY 31, 1786. SIR-In consequence of orders received from the Board of Treasury, I settled Major Ottendorff's account, August 8, 1777, and paid him a balance of 51697 dollars. After the account was settled, I received a charge against him of 200 dollars advanced him by Mease & Caldwell, which the Major promised to account for when the receipt was produced. I applied to Mease & Caldwell for the same, who told me these receipts were lodged with the Treasury Board, and the matter still remains unsettled for that sum only. The Major says he has pay due him which will more than answer for that sum. You will please therefore to examine into the same, and if you think settle with him accordingly. proper, I am yours, Major CLARK. WILLIAM PALFREY. SAVANNAH, SIR-I am inclined to think you will find it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to settle the accounts of the Georgia line of the late army, so as to do equal justice to the individuals and the United States, by the mode you have hitherto adopted, unless you take up the whole of their accounts from the beginning of their respective services, with those parts of the Quartermaster's and Commissary's departments, as each of them were entitled to, as they have already made them out themselves, and settled them in that manner with the Auditor of the State: for which I offer the following reasons, which I presume must justify you in any deviation you are obliged to make from your general instructions, and as you will find cannot suit this State. First, Because, by the distance of this State from Congress the little attention paid to it for some time, the neglect of men in office, and the uncertainty of conveyance, the several resolves and recommendations of Congress did not reach it to be put into execution in due time, prior to the 29th of December, 1778, when the State, and nearly the whole line of it, fell into the hands of the British, and were chiefly lost ever after. Second, Because, that after the capture of Savannah, and while the State of Georgia continued in the hands of the enemy, there was no regular government existing in the State, and therefore impossible they could take up any directions or recommendations from Congress respecting regulations, recruiting, supplies, depreciation of pay, &c., for their line of the late army as other States have done, until July, 1782, when the British evacuated Savannah; and every officer, during that unfortunate period, who had been at large, or were released from imprisonment, being driven from their country and property, took an active part in the other States, as they respectively found an opportunity: and they look to Congress alone to make good their engagements, as the State they belonged to was rendered incapable. And lastly, Because, by an act of the Legislature of Georgia, passed at Augusta, 29th July, 1783, the first time they had leisure and opportunity to take up the business, all accounts of officers and soldiers of the Georgia line of the State, which were certified by any person authorized by Congress, or other authority under them, that such accounts as would be passed to the credit of the State with |