474 Letters to the Governor and Council

September 3
Red Book
No. 27
Letter 137

William Harrison his Class was upwards of £3. specie short when he
marched which I had Collected since, and sent to him by Lieut^nt
Foster, but in the case of Matthews and Price your hon^rs are Totally
misinformed, the truth is as follows, M^r Prather brot them to me to
be pasS^td one for his and the Other for M^r Friends Class, said he had
promiS^td to pay each of them £15 Spetie or the Exc^ye in Paper which
Sum they were well pleaS^td with, until some of the rec^ts told them
that something more had been given, they then argued sometime and
insisted on their bounty being raiS^td, at length they props^d leaving
the matter to me which M^r Prather agreed to, they said they had been
detain'd upon their own exp^s two or Three days after their Inlist^g
it not being conv^t to M^r Prather to come down, that consideration
and the desire I had to make them satisf^d induced me to determine
that he should pay them 1000 dol^s more than his Agreem^t they both
app^d well Satisfied with and repeatedly thank'd me for my determi-
nation nor did either of them Claim more while in Washington, some
time before they March'd Price made a Complaint that M^r Prather
had made a Mistake in Counting the Paper Money and that he could
not prevail on him to rectify it. I imm^y wrote to and inform'd him of
the charge and requested him to settle with the rec^t or that I would
Issue a Warrant and Compel him so to do, M^r Prather soon after pro-
duc'd several depositions and Certificates from respectable persons,
that they were present at their settlem^t and that they had counted the
Money and M^r Prather had paid him a few dol^s more than his due.
Old Col^o Crisap inform'd me that he was also present at the Settl^s and
that he rec^d a few dol^s over, and that the fellow he knew to be an
infamous rascal, and from the facts here Stated I have no doubt but
Your hon^rs will be convinc'd that they are both so.

September 3
Red Book
No. 27
Letter 57

[Stephen Steward, West River, to the Council.]

I only Rec^d yours of the 9^th of August yesterday or shuld Replyed
long ago how Ever its time Enuf to give a bill for the Cabels and
Cording for the Galle I am Building fore or five munths Hence at
the Rait I have gon on heather to the Decking Plank and Pine Plank
for hir uper works is now lying In the Eastern shore some time Redy
the holders of it has ben with me this Day and will not Deliver it
without the Hard muny I have Paid away a Considerable som of hard
muny for Provitions and many other artichels for the Galle and it
will not sut me to Pay any more without you will Return it to me or
som thing that I can Rais the Hard muny out of I find I shall be a
very Grat loser. In the End If I advance hard muny and take Paper
for it I Can git no kind of provation but for hard muny but at an
advance Price the Butchers are now ofring 6^d p^r C^t Red muny for
Beef when In Realety it is not worth more then 3^d as I am Deter-
mined not to Depresheat the muny In Paying an advance I sopose I
shall be obligd to stop In less then a month for want of Provitions
as the salt provition and what fresh of my own I can spare will be out