George Washington Papers

To George Washington from Captain Lieutenant James Smith, 8 May 1779

From Captain Lieutenant James Smith

Pluckemin [N.J.] 8th May 1779

Sir

I take the liberty to lay before your Excellency the inclosed account of £49.5/ which is the ammt of my expences in pursuit of eight deserters.1 I truly and honestly paid every farthing chargd in the Accot and have sworn to it. I Exhibited the Accot to the Auditors of the Army, who informed it was out of their power to allow me more than 3 dollars each day I was on the command being eight days, and amounting to twenty four Dollars. I have no other resource than to apply to your Excelly for redress, conscious of the strictest frugallity in my Expences, industry in pursuit of the Deserters, and being unable to bear the Expences on my own accot, the Sum for which the auditors cannot allow being more than three months of my pay, I beg your Excellency would be pleased to order the Account to be settled according to its real Amount.2 I have the honor to be with the highest Respect Your Excellency’s most Obedient Humble Servt

James Smith Capt. Lt Arty

ALS, DLC:GW.

1The enclosure has not been identified.

2GW apparently never responded to this letter, but Smith soon had other, larger problems on his mind; see John Jay to GW, 15 June.

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