Alexander Hamilton’s Account with the Government of the United States, 7 March 1789

Alexander Hamilton’s Account with the
Government of the United States1

1776–1785

I2
A
March 7th. 1789
Army in old Emissions Dr.
To John Pierce3 Pay Master General, his account
old emissions
For Five thousand six hundred and twenty nine dollars 30/90 old Emissions that Lieut Col: Hamilton late aid de Camp to General Washington, credits on the settlement of his account at the Treasury the 2nd instant the specie value of which deducted from the amount
in Specie	5.629.30 O.E.
Army in Specie Dr. to Sundries	(specie)
For the discharge of Lieut Colo. Hamiltons account above mentioned,
To John Pierce Pay Master General.
For Sixty dollars paid by him to said Hamilton August 81	$60.
To John Ross4 cloathing stipulated for on the surrender of York. Virga.
For Sixty six dollars Sixty ninetieths of a dollar the amount of sundry articles credited by him
being part of the Cloathing contracted for at the surrender of York	$66.60
To Michael Hillegas5 Treasurer,
For a Warrant drawn the 6th. instant by the Superintendant of Finance6 in favor of said Lieut Col Hamilton for seven hundred and five dollars Sixty nine ninetieths of a dollar Specie being part of
the balance due him	705.69
To Funded debt.
For two thousand Eight hundred and twenty dollars funded being the residue of the balance due to said Hamilton & for which a Certificate was this day given by the Register,7 pursuant to a Warrant from the Superintendant of Finance dated the 6 inst. on interest at 6 ⅌ Ct. from the 4th. March 1789,
& entered to the credit of said Hamilton in Aux: Books funded debt W. 13 pa. 22	2.820.
	$3.652.39

II8

Old Emission account

Dr.

Capt. Alexr Hamilton of a Compy. of Arty. now Aid de Camp In a/c with the United States

Cr.

1776

1785

Octr.

To William Palfrey9

Dec

By Old Emissions reduced & accounted for

For pay of his Compy for Aug.

for in Specie

1776

For this sum reduced & carried to

774. 3⁄72

his Specie Debit

7942.30

Decr.

For pay of his Co. from 1st.

By the United States

Septr. to 1st.

for his pay & the pay of his

Decr. 76

1652.

Company to Feby 28th.

Mar

For pay of his Co. for Decr. 76

1777

3522.44

420 9⁄72

For Do. Do. to 28 Feby 77

766 22⁄90

1186. 31⁄72

1778

Feby

For his pay in full to

31 Jany 78

646.

Aug

For his pay pay to 31 July

1778

360

Nov.

For his pay pay to 31 Oct.

1778

180.

Decr.

For his pay pay for Nov. &

Decr. 78

120.

1779

May

For his pay & rations to May

1779	1007. 2⁄90

July

To John Pierce Jr.

For his pay for May & June 79

200.

1780

Mar

For his pay & subsce. from

1 July 79 to 1 March 1780

3129. 30⁄90

May

For his pay & Sube. for Mar

& April 1780

920.

Aug

For his pay & sube. from 1

May to 1 August 1780

1380

1164

1164.74

The above is an Extract taken from The Books of the late Pay office now in this office

Department of War Accountants Office

June 15th. 1809 Wm Simmons10

III11

Specie Account
Dr.	Lt. Col. Alexr. Hamilton In a/c with The United States.				Cr.
1781	To Richard Lloyd12			By Pay of the Army
	For this sum received of him	66.60	1785
1782	To John Pierce P.M.G.		Decr	For pay as Aid de Camp from March
	For this sum received of him for			1777 to 31 Decr. 1781	3480.
	pay for Jany. & Feby. 1782	120.		Rations from 2 June 1778 to 31
	To Nicholas Fish13			July 1781 @ 4 per day is 4620
	For one months pay; paid him at			@ 10d.	513.30
	the Head of Elk in Aug 1781,			Ditto from 1 Aug 1781 to 31 Decr
	which he credits in his settlement			following 612 rations @ 9½d.	64.54
	with the Auditor	60.		For pay due him for January &
1785				February 1782	120.
Decr.	To Specie arising from old Emis-			Drs.
	sions reduced For 7942 30⁄90 Drs.
	reduced to Specie	405.45
	To United States Funded Debt
1785	For the Registers Certificate on
Dec	Interest from 4th March 1782	2820.
	To United States
	For a Warrant on the Treasurer
	received March 7th. 1782 in full	705.69
		4177.84			4177.84

The above is an Extract taken from The Books of the late Pay office now in this office

Department of War Accountants Office

June 15th. 1809 Wm Simmons

1. The three documents, which appear below this title and are numbered I, II, and III, accompanied a petition which H’s widow, Elizabeth, submitted to the Senate and House of Representatives on January 10, 1816 (LS, RG 233, Records of the Committee on Pensions, 14th Congress, National Archives). In this petition Elizabeth Hamilton stated that H had been “intitled to commutation of half pay, as provided by the Continental Congress of the United States to the officers of the Army of the Revolution, but, owing to his Situation as a member of Congress, at the time of the Provision for commutation being made, and to divest himself of all possible Interest in the question, he did, from motives of delicacy, by some note or memorandum for that purpose as your petitioner has understood relinquished the benefit of said provision.” She then requested “the Honorable the Congress of the United States to restore to the Representatives of her late Husband that compensation due for the services of her husband as aforesaid.”

2. D, RG 233, Records of the Committee on Pensions, 14th Congress, National Archives.

Accompanying this account was the following statement by Joseph Nourse, register of the Treasury:

“I certify that a Registered debt Certificate was issued by the Register of the Treasury on the 7 March 1782, pursuant to a Warrant of the Superintendant of Finance dated 6 March 1782 in the name of Lieut Colo Alexander Hamilton late aid de Camp to General Washington for Two thousand Eight hundred and twenty dollars on Interest from the 2nd March 1782, being the undue of the balance due to the said Hamilton on the settlement of his account at the Treasury on the 2nd March 1782, as will more fully appear from the subjoined Extract, from the original enteries on the Books of the Treasury Department marked A.”

3. John Pierce of Connecticut had been appointed assistant paymaster general for the Continental Army in 1776. He was promoted to paymaster general in 1781 and remained in that position until his death in 1788.

4. John Ross was a contractor for the Army.

5. Michael Hillegas had been elected Treasurer under the Confederation in November, 1778.

6. Robert Morris had been elected Superintendent of Finance on February 20, 1781.

7. Joseph Nourse.

8. D, RG 233, Records of the Committee on Pensions, 14th Congress, National Archives.

9. William Palfrey was paymaster general for the Continental Army from 1776 to November, 1780.

10. William Simmons was appointed accountant to the War Department in 1795.

11. D, RG 233, Records of the Committee on Pensions, 14th Congress, National Archives.

12. Presumably Captain Richard Lloyd of the Second Canadian Regiment.

13. Presumably Major Nicholas Fish of the Second New York Regiment.

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You Are Looking At

Source Project: Hamilton Papers
Title: Alexander Hamilton’s Account with the Government of the United States, 7 March 1789
Author: Hamilton, Alexander
Date: 7 March 1789

Reference

Cite as: “Alexander Hamilton’s Account with the Government of the United States, 7 March 1789,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Hamilton/01-01-02-0078. [Original source: The Papers of Alexander Hamilton, vol. 1, 1768–1778, ed. Harold C. Syrett. New York: Columbia University Press, 1961, pp. 191–194.]

Alexander Hamilton’s Account with the Government of the United States1

Index Entries

Alexander Hamilton’s Account with the
Government of the United States1