From George Washington to William Churchill Houston, 20 January 1780
To William Churchill Houston
Head Quarters Morris Town 20th January 1780.
Sir
I have been honored with yours of the 14th with the Act of Congress to which it refers.1
As Congress in their instructions to me have not determined whether the settlement and payment of the accounts of the troops of Convention shall be previous to, or be any ways involved in the subject of the proposed negociation—I have taken the liberty, in consequence of your letter, to request their explicit determination upon that head, before I appointed Commissioners for that purpose.2
I should be happy to afford the Board any assistance in procuring the adjustment and payment of accounts of such magnitude and of so much consequence to the public: But I really do not know an Officer of the Army sufficiently versed in the affairs of the Quarter Master’s and Commissary’s departments to undertake the settlement of those accounts in conjunction with the Gentleman who you may think proper to empower. perhaps one of the Asst Quarter Masters General might be best acquainted with the mode of stating and liquidating the several accounts at present in dispute.3
Df, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
1. See the Board of Treasury to GW, 14 January.
2. See GW to Samuel Huntington, 19 January. For Congress’s instructions to GW on prisoner exchange negotiations, see Huntington to GW, 14 Jan., and n.1 to that document.
3. In the evening of this date, Tilghman addressed a letter to Maj. Gen. Nathanael Greene. After informing Greene of the contents of the first part of GW’s letter to Houston, Tilghman wrote: “And as the Board requested the General to recommend a proper person to be joined in Commission with a Gentleman of the Chamber of Accounts to adjust the several matters in dispute, he has mentioned one of the Asst Quarter Master General as, in his opinion, most competent to that purpose. Colo. [John] Coxe I suppose could, if approved by the treasury, attend with most convenience. We cannot tell where, or at what time the Board of Treasury mean a meeting for the adjustment of Accounts should be held: But I imagine, it is to be in this quarter, and when the Commissioners for settling a Cartel meet. If previous, I suppose you or the General will hear more of it” (DNA:PCC, item 173). Greene did order Cox to meet with the Board of Treasury (see Cox to Greene, 19 Feb., in 5:402).