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Gen. Washington Wishes To Settle all Army Debts General George Washington Wishes To Settle all Army

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Gen. Washington Wishes To Settle all Army Debts  General George Washington Wishes To Settle all Army
<B> General George Washington Wishes To Settle all Army Accounts With the States Before the Army is Disbanded</B></I> Manuscript LS: <I>"G. Washington",</B></I> 3p, 8" x 11.75". The third page, 7" x 8.75", has been expertly attached to an 8" x 11.75" sheet, attaching it to the first two pages. [Head Quarters, April 14, 1783]. In full: "<I>Sir: Previous to the disbanding the Army - an event which it is to be wished, may take place with as much ease & satisfaction as circumstances will admit - Congress have directed that a compleat settlement and liquidation of all their Accounts shall be made; To effect this, the Pay Master Genl. is arrived with full Instructions to enter immediately upon the settlement, and to compleat it as soon as possible; In performing this Duty, he informs me that recourse must be had to the several States, for their Accounts (if they have any) against their respective Lines; - this requisition probably may have been, or will be, made by Mr. Morris; but as I consider it of the utmost importance both for the ease and quiet of the Army, as well as in point of Oeconomy to the Public, that this business should be effected with all the dispatch that it is possible to give it, I have procured from the Pay Master Genl. the enclosed minutes of what he judges necessary to obtain from the States, as part of the ground of his settlement; which I take the liberty to transmit to your Excellency, with my most earnest request, that you will be pleased to give directions that the earliest attention may be given to forward, without the least delay, to Mr. Peirce, the Pay Master Genl., whatever information, accounts or papers, shall on examination of his Minutes, be found necessary; together with any other papers or documents which may be thought proper from your State to effect the settlement proposed. I have taken this liberty the rather, as it is judged, that, on a supposition of the utmost dispatch in the States, the greatest delay in compleating this very important settlement, will most probably arise from the time necessary to obtain their Accounts. I have the honor to be Your excellency's Most Obedient Servant.</B></I>" Copies of this letter, each signed by General Washington, were sent to the states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island. Each was accompanied by minutes from the Paymaster General, estimating what was needed from each state, the purpose of which was to enable him to establish a uniform basis for paying off the Army. The minutes sent by the Paymaster General is not present. Accompanied by a 1946 letter from Gordon T. Banks of Goodspeed's Book Shop in Boston in which he states: "It is our impression that this is the copy that was sent to Rhode Island, although we have no tangible evidence." Dark bold signature of Washington. Small hole between lines on third page, slight soiling. Overall, in fine condition. From the Henry E. Luhrs Collection.