To George Washington from Thomas Walker, 14 April 1756
From Thomas Walker
Williamsburg April the 14 1756
Sr:
As The Committee have not Settled my accounts with Mr Kilpaterick1 I shall endeavour to settle them my self, for the following reasons to wit. As I have the Vouchers here it will be attended with trouble & Hazard to carry them up to fort Cumberland, & when that is done they must be brought here again. The Road from the blue ridge to the Fort being at this time dangerous is a further reason for should I be cut of or my Vouchers lost my Family might suffer much and further I expect it will be agreable to you as it will save you the Trouble of Settling with the Committee, after Settling with me.2 I should much rather choose to settle with you than that Set of Gentlemen, was it not for the reasons above mentioned. As what I have wrote is truth & though in my plain way hope no apology is necessary. As soon as my accounts are Settled I shall proced to you as fast as possible and in the mean time you may assure your self nothing in my Power shall be wanting for the good of the Common Cause & Honour of every worthy Individual of the Virginia Regiment I hope the deligence of my assistants will prevent my absence being of the least ill consequence to the Common Cause. That the Governour of all things May Protect, & Direct you, is the Prayer of Your Most Humble Servant
Thomas Walker
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. Walker is referring to John Kirkpatrick.
2. Walker, commissary for the Virginia Regiment, apparently assumed that GW had gone on up to Fort Cumberland from Winchester and, for this reason, decided to present his vouchers directly to the oversight committee rather than to GW for his initial review before forwarding them to the committee for payment. The reference to GW’s secretary John Kirkpatrick, who had just been in Williamsburg to secure regimental funds for GW from the legislative committee, suggests that there was some expectation that Kirkpatrick might have acted as GW’s agent in reviewing Walker’s accounts. For an indication that GW had difficulties similar to Walker’s in settling his own military accounts with the committee, see GW to Dinwiddie, 18 April 1756.