William Simmons letter October 13, 1797

October 13, 1797
Accountant’s Office
William Simmons to John Saunders
Simmons received muster and pay rolls for detachments at Fort Norfolk, September 1797. In rolls, John Saunders indicates pay of Sergent Michael Shannon as artificer. Simmons advised that none are entitled to receive pay, it is their duty. Simmons requests Saunders transmit a certificate specifying the trade of Shannon which will enable Simmons to judge the propriety of admitting the charge. Edward Clerk is mentioned as a musician, but his date of enlistment and amount of pay is missing. Simmons describes the criteria for employing a matron to attend the sick. Simmons further advises on proper data entry for muster and pay rolls.

October 13, 1797
Accountant’s Office
William Simmons to James McHenry
Simmons requests advice on course of action to be taken in regards to the pay of Lieutenant John Saunders. Captain was mustered absent without approval of Secretary of War.

Fort Norfolk Documents

Before 1794, 1794, 1795, 1796, 1797, 1798, 1799, 1800, 1801, 1802, 1803, 1804, 1805, 1806, 1807, 1808, 1809, 1810, 1811, 1812, 1813, 1814, 1815, 1816, 1817, 1861, 1862, 1863, 1864, 1865

Source of Information

Papers of the War Department 1784 to 1800

Papers of the War Department is a project of the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media, George Mason University with funding from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Fire destroyed the War Department office in 1800. For decades historians believed that its files, and the window they provide into the early federal government, had been lost forever. This collection unites copies of the lost files in a digital archive that reconstitutes this invaluable historical resource.