January 1783
May it Please your Excellency

To direct Provisions to be issued to my family (being five Canadian refugees) for the Current month Containing thirty one days inclusive being in the whole one hundred & fifty-five Rations

February 17, 1783.

3d. Will it not be best to reform Hazen's Regiment immediately and put it upon the same Establishment as the rest of the Army?⁽⁹²⁾

[Note 92: The answer was: Yes.]

6. It seems necessary that something should be done towards regulating the Issues of Provision to the Canadian Refugees And is Colo. Antills family entitled to draw, under that denomination.⁽⁹⁵⁾

Tompton Feby 26th 1783
Worthy Sir-

I did myself the honor to speak to you some time since about the Drawing provisions for my family. You thought I had better speak to the Commandr in chief which I did and his Excellency referr'd me to the Secratary at War which has occasioned the lapse of time to the present moment on his return thro this Cantonment he acquainted me he had left directions with the contractors to issue provisions to the Canadian refugees as usual till further orders. I take the Liberty of troubling you on the present occasion and hope you will be good enough to Excuse it- The inclosed draughts for the three months are the forms in which I drew last year. The manner was to have them signed at bottom by the genl officer nearest. They all of Last year passed the Contractors & Controllers Boards. Therefore are agreeably to the present Directions of the Secy at War. Please return them to the bearer after being countersigned who will present them to the Contractors- Perhaps the Contractors may object to that of Jany but it was not intended I should loose it as the mode of Drawing pointed out in the first instnace could not be complied with by me at the time. And the present one could not be adopted till his return from the Eastward- I hope your goodness will pardon this interruption.

xx xx are comeing on to Hd Quarters. They seem to be desirous of being with their Countrymen in this Regiment Genl Hazen does not think to ask them but I take the liberty to suggest & if they were embodied with us this would be of most real use to the public than dispers'd thro' the whole line among men unacquainted with the language xx.

No packet Tuesday but moment expected with the Terms of Peace.

the 3rd March 1783
Dear Sir

It is with pain that I find myself obliged to trouble General Gates with my letter. The orders that you was so obliging to sign have been presented to Mr. Grey, commissary general he told our boy that they must be signed at Head quarters it is more than I can comprehend it must certainly be a mistake - give me leave Sir to ask your assistance in this.

The Comee. [consisting of Mr. David Howell, Mr. Hugh Williamson and Mr. Pierse Long] to whom was referred the petition of Edward Antill, late an officer in the Canadian old regiment commanded by the late Brigr. Genl. Hazen submit the following report:

Your Comee. find that measures have been taken by the late Superintendant of Finance to make payments for two years interest on the depreciation certificates issued to General Hazens Corps in pursuance of the resolution of April 20, 1781, and of course, that only two years more interest was payable on the first day of January last.

Your Comee. also find that on the 12 Aug., 1780, Congress resolved to "take speedy measures for liquidating and paying what is due on account of depreciation to the officers and soldiers who do not belong to the Quota of any State." Whereupon your Comee. beg leave to recommend the following resolution--

Resolved, That the commissioners of the Board of Treasury pay to the late Brigr. Genl. Hazen and to the several officers of his late Corps the arrears of rations who are possessed of Loan Office Certificates issued to them for depreciation of Pay to the first day of January, 1785, in pursuance of the Resolution of April 20th, 1781 [One Years Interest and that the several late Officers in that Corps cease to draw Rations or Subsistence from the first of May next and that said officers cease to draw rations or subsistence from the time of their receiving such payment.

And in order that the officers and men of sd. Corps may, in future, be on similar footing in respect to depreciation of their pay with others who have been in the service of the U. States--your Committee offer to Congress the following resolution

War Office,
September 8th, 1785.

The Secretary of the United States for the department of War to whom was referred the Memorial and Narration of Pierre Ayotte reports--

That it appears from the evidence of a number of American Officers particularly Mr. Antill, late a Lieutenant Colonel in General Hazen's regiment, that in February, 1776, he appointed Pierre Ayotte a Captain and furnished him with a sum of Money; that he did actually engage a Company and even a surpluss, that his Company was stationed at Point Levi opposite to Quebec in the beginning of May, 1776, at the time the American Army were obliged to raise the Seige of that City; that upon the retreat of the American Army Captain Ayottes company at Point Levi dispersed and went to their Homes, excepting four privates who joined the American Army at Sorrel] River. That Captain Ayotte went to his own Home, where he closely concealed himself for sometime, but was at length apprehended and conveyed to the Goal in the City of Quebec; that it is rather uncertain how long he remained in confinement, but it is probable that his own statements upon this point may be right, to wit, until January, 1777; after he was liberated he resided with his family until the termination of the War, under some restrictions, probably on oath of fidelity to the King of Great Britain.

That it appears from the evidence of Lieut. Colonel Antill and Major Platt, that Captain Ayotte was extremely zealous in the American cause until the retreat from Quebec. That he frequently obtained provisions from the Inhabitants for the American Troops when in groat distress; that by his activity & zeal, intrenching implements were obtained from the Inhabitants to form the Batteries at Point Levi; that he was particularly serviceable in assisting Major Dubois, to quell a mutiny or rising of the Canadians and that he was employed by General Wooster to raise a number of Beacons below Quebec, in order to give the signal for the approach of the British ships, and that although the Chain was not completed before the arrival of the Vessels, yet he must have incurred some expence in the Business for which it is probable he was not compensated. He says that since the Peace numbers from whom he procured provisions and intrenching Tools have applied to him for payment and have threatened to compel him to make compensation; that the apprehension of this event must oblige him to leave Canada, lest he should be thrown into prison.

The assertions of Captain Ayotte are strongly corroborated by the information of Colonel Antill and Major Platt that he acted with great vigor in obtaining the Articles before mentioned. From all these circumstances your Secretary is of opinion that it would be proper considering his expences services and sufferings, that he should be allowed the pay and subsistence of a Captain for one Year commencing from January 1st, 1776, and that one hundred and fifty dollars should be advanced to him in full consideration of all extra expences, and as it is probable that he cannot longer reside in Canada without danger of prosecution, in consequence of his conduct in the service of America, that he be allowed rations in the same manner as other Canadians until the 1st. June next, and that the same quantity of Land be allowed to him, as to the heads of other Canadian Families. Upon these reasons the following resolutions are submitted:

Resolved, That the Commissioner of Army Accounts in liquidating the claims of Pierre Ayotte, allow him the pay and subsistence of a Captain for the year 1776, deducting three hundred dollars advanced him by the resolve of the 24th February last.

That the further sum of one hundred and fifty dollars be allowed him in full of all expences, incurred by him in the service of the public.

That he be allowed rations until the first of June next and that the same quantity of Lands be assigned to him, as may be assigned to the heads of other Canadian Families.

The Commissioner for settling the accounts of the Army to whom was referred the memorial of Captain John Thomson begs leave to report.

That there appears to be a ballance of Eleven hundred Ninty Nine 6/90 dollars due to Cap. Thomson on the settlement of his recruiting account, Opposed to which ballance, Colonel Edward Antill has charged to him the sum of One thousand and seventy dollars, for which the Colonel has produced an entry in his account book and attested that the same has been paid by him to Cap. Thomson.

That Captain Thomson, has also attested that he never did receive the sd. sum of One thousand and seventy Dollars or any part of it for his own use or that of the United States.

That Colonel Antill has been called on by your Commissioner to support his charge of this sum, which he says he can do, and that the same was paid by him out of the monies committed into his hands by the united States.

That Cap. Thomson has repeatedly applied for his Settlement but at the time of his application Colonel Antill was absent, which has prevented an hearing between the parties.