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Sir:

Inclosed your Excellency will receive a Copy of a Letter I this day received from Mr. Winder, the Commissioner for adjusting the Accounts of this State with the United States, by which you will observe the necessity of my presenting the Claims of this State as soon as possible and altho’ it is utterly impossible to finish the business by the 24th of August next, by reason of the many Thousand accounts that have been heretofore exhibited to the different Auditors of this State, and a very great number of others which are again to be examined in order to discriminate the Continental from the Militia

Accounts, particular entries of which are necessary to be made in Books for that purpose, before the vouchers are delivered, the Commissioner, yet wishing most fervently to exhibit all the accounts I possibly can, previous to the above mentioned time, in order so to do, I am to request your Excellency to empower me to employ two or three more Clerks for that purpose. Mr. Winder has now six Clerks to go on with the Accounts, and I have but two, and one of them has been here but a few days only, makes it impossible for me to keep way with them, whereas I ought to precede them in preparing the accounts & Vouchers entering the Militia and Specific Claims, whilst they are entering the different Accounts that Mr. Winder finally passes.

It may seem strange that the Business requires so many Clerks to expedite it, but no person who has not been in the Office can have any Idea of the Magnitude of it.

As I wish to have your Excellency’s directions with respect to employing more Clerks as soon as possible, I have sent Jackey McKerral as an Express that no time may be lost, hoping that your Excellency will think it necessary to give me such directions without the advice of Council, if they should not be at Edenton when this reaches you. As it will be impossible to finish the Business in the time prescribed, I must submit to your Excellency the Consideration of the Necessity of Writing to our Delegates in Congress to have the time lengthened, altho’ Virginia did not succeed in the like request, as it will be like doing nothing to do it only in part. And if you should be pleased to write to the Delegates on this Matter, I should be glad to know from them to whom I am to pay the Continental Money now in my possession, as Mr. Winder does not mean to receive it.

I have wrote to the Clerks of the Assembly to forward to my Office Agreeable to a Resolve of the last Assembly the public Accounts that may be in their possession, but as they have not done it, I will thank your Excellency to write to them, as I imagine they will comply with your Instructions sooner than with my request. It is necessary I should have them immediately.

The Clerks that are in the Office now I have engaged at the rate of £250 per Annum & suppose I could get the other three if they are to be got at all at that rate.

Inclosed you have likewise an account for my half year’s Salary

home to the last of June, together with Mr. Bright’s Account amounting in the whole to £302 1 8, for which I will thank your Excellency to send me per Bearer warrants on the Treasury as mentioned below.

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