serve as a voucher for the Auditors of the State of New York, which is all they require.

Your obedient servant,

JOSEPH MORRELL.

JOSEPH HOWELL, Esq., Philadelphia.

NEW YORK, August 2, 1785.

SIR:-The Commissioner for settling the army accounts, to whom was referred the petition of James Gilleland, late a Captain in the corps of Sappers and Miners, begs leave to report that notwithstanding Captain Gilleland has stated in his petition that he served in the army to the end of the war, it appears by the returns of the corps and by the records of the War Office, that he resigned his commission on the 9th day of October, 1782-which resignation, in the opinion of your Commissioner, debars him from the benefits of the resolution of Congress of the 16th September, 1776, granting lands, and of October 21st, 1780, granting half-pay for life to such officers as shall continue in service to the end of the war; that there is still due to James Gilleland some arrears of pay and subsistence, certificates for which will be issued to him on his application.

I have the honor to be your obedient servant,

President of Congress.

JOHN PIERCE.

NEW YORK, August 8, 1785.

SIR-In answer to your note respecting the specie paid to the officers of the army in the years 1782 and 1783, I beg leave to inform you that there has not been any advanced by a State to any of the lines to my knowledge on account of their pay, but the sum has been furnished by the United States under the arrangement of the Office of Finance, and I believe by no particular resolution of Congress. The sum intended to be advanced to the army under these regulations has been two months for officers of higher grades in 1782, and four months for the line in general in 1783, which was advanced in notes of the Superintendent of Finance, payable in six months to the Northern army, and by bills at thirty

and sixty days' sight for the Southern army. The Northern lines are completely paid, and there are considerable arrears, which I am endeavoring to ascertain with precision, now due to the Southern troops.

I have the honor to be your obedient servant,

Hon. THOMAS MOKEAN.

JOHN PIERCE.

NEW YORK, August 10, 1785.

SIR-The Paymaster-general, to whom was referred the petition of Pierre Regnier de Rousse, late a Lieutenant-colonel in the fourth and second New York regiments, praying the depreciation on his pay, begs leave to report that it appears the petitioner resigned his commission on the 24th day of March, 1780; that by the resolutions of Congress of the 10th day of April and of the 8th day of August, 1780, and of the 15th of May and 12th of August, 1783, this allowance appears to be altogether restricted to the officers in the service on the 10th day of April, 1780; that Mons. Regnier conceives himself entitled to claim his depreciation, particularly as he was a foreigner previous to the war, expecting that a distinction would be admitted between foreign and domestic officers; which principle the Paymaster-general humbly conceives to be improper, and not justified by any usage or resolution of Congress. He therefore submits the following resolve: That Mons. Regnier, having resigned his commission prior to any promise of depreciation, cannot, agreeable to the principles adopted by Congress in such cases, be entitled to this allowance.

President of Congress.

JOHN PIERCE, P. M. Gen.

ANNAPOLIS, August 15, 1785.

SIR-I had a letter from Major Allen McLane, late of Lec's Legion, in answer to one I wrote him on the subject of an advance by the State of Maryland, in which he requests the same may be charged to the United States, to be accounted for by him on final settlement; and although I have already transmitted the account to your office, I have thought proper to mention the matter again,

lest that might have been mislaid. The sum charged to Major McLane is £187 10, new emission, received in March, 1781, at the rate of 3 for 1, is £57 13 10, specie, for which sum please to charge him, and give the State of Maryland credit therefor. The certificates for horses taken, and purchased by Major McLane within this State, have all been taken up and liquidated by the State, and will be charged to the United States in general account.

In answer to your letter of the 14th July, on the subject of the advance to the Baron De Kalb, I have to inform you that I never received any money from him, nor did I ever hear of his taking up any money for the purposes you mention until I received your letter. As soon as I receive answers to the inquiries I have set on foot touching this business, I will write to you again thereon. With highest regard, I am your obedient servant, C. RICHMOND, Auditor-general.

JOHN PIERCE, Esq., New York.

BALTIMORE, August 18, 1785.

SIR-I have delayed answering yours of the 14th July, expecting to be able to give you some information respecting the expenditure of the money received by the Baron De Kalb. I have not yet met with any person that can give me any information on the subject, more than that the Baron was known to have a large sum of money in his hands for the purpose of marching the troops to the southward, and that Captain Joseph Marbury, Quartermaster for the detachment, received part of it for the use of his department. I make no doubt but he has, or can account for what he received. He is now in Virginia. I will write to him on the subject, if an opportunity offers. I think, from considering the circumstances of the army, that but a small part of the money could have been expended. It soon became useless in procuring any thing whatever for the army, and recourse was had to other means for subsistence. With respect to arrearages of clothing, I doubt whether the army ever received it.

I am your most obedient servant,

JOHN PIERCE, Esq., P. M. Gen., New York.

J. E. HOWARD.

NEW YORK, August, 19, 1785. GENTLEMEN:-The petition of John Buchanan, citizen of the State of New York, most respectfully showeth, that your petitioner was one among the first of the inhabitants of the State who avowed an opposition to the arbitrary measures of the British government, and was honored with the command of a company of his fellowcitizens upon the first arrangement of the militia in this city, in the year 1775; that early in the year 1776, your petitioner was employed by the Commander-in-chief, and by other Generals, in many confidential and difficult services, which he has had the happiness to execute to their satisfaction, and was in the year 1777 appointed a superintendent of the water-craft on the Hudson River; that in the month of January, 1778, your petitioner being, with the boats under his command, at Tarrytown, far advanced of the enemy, and stationed for their greater security in their winter cantonments, was apprised that a party of the enemy were approaching with an intent, among other objects, to destroy the boats and guard under his command, but he had the good fortune to either kill or make prisoners the whole of the party, although in the action he was wounded, and thereby not only disabled from service for a considerable time, but has in a great measure lost the use of his right arm forever; that as soon as your petitioner was able to withdraw himself from the hospital, he again entered upon his duty, and on the 3d of February, 1779, was appointed by General McDougall to a very troublesome and confidential service, and stationed at the garrison at West Point, which appointment was afterwards confirmed by General Washington, and in this station your petitioner remained to the close of the war; that all the pay and subsistence of your petitioner was equal to that of a Captain in the line of the army; yet, from the frequent changes in the Quartermaster-general's department, or causes which he knows not, there is due to him his pay from the 21st of August, 1778, to the 4th of August, 1780, and his subsistence for the same space of time, except while he was in the hospital; and there is also due to him the depreciation of his pay from the 1st of September, 1777, to the said 21st of August, 1778.

Your petitioner is therefore constrained to present his case to your honorable body, not doubting but that he will meet with that justice and favor which those who have faithfully served their country are entitled to; and in proof of the facts which he has herein set forth, he is ready to produce the most substantial vouchers.

Honorable Congress of the United States.

JOHN BUCHANAN.

NEW YORK, August 22, 1785.

SIR:-On examination of the claims of Lieutenant Pepin for the five years' full pay in lieu of half-pay for life, I find that he held a regular military commission in Colonel James Livingston's regiment; that he was returned with sundry other officers on the 23d June, 1779, in the musters of the regiment, as a supernumerary, and furloughed under that idea for twelve months, which furlough, by a certificate of General Gates and Colonel Livingston, appears to have taken effect; that his pay as a supernumerary officer was drawn as far as the rolls can be procured, which is up to January 1, 1780; that in the year 1780 he received a pass from one of the Aides of the Commander-in-chief as a late Lieutenant of Livingston's regiment; that he did duty in Malcolm's regiment in October, 1780, and was seen with the infantry in 1780; that he has settled his accounts of depreciation at the Treasury up to July 31, 1780. On which evidence, I am of opinion his military commission in the army of the United States was totally extinct on his becoming supernumerary; that he has received in his settlement, and the money he has drawn in his regiment, more than to the amount of the year's pay promised to supernumeraries at that time; and that therefore, as there was then no other promise, he can have no claim, as a late officer of Colonel Livingston's regiment, to any further allowance to half-pay or commutation.

The certificates that he produces, that he did duty afterwards in other corps, cannot, in my opinion, be construed as conferring another appointment on him as an officer, such appointment being derived immediately from Congress. They prove, indeed, that he