A disorder, equally troublesome and painful, prevented me from personally presenting my Respects to your Excellency.

General Gates, in his Letter of the 29th of last July, recommended me to Your Excellency, that your Support might enable me to obtain the Commission of Major in the Army of the United States, with the Instruments of the Officer of that Rank. My Appointment, as a Staff Officer, entitles me to no Advantage, besides Pay and Subsistence.

I am conscious that my Services never were conspicuous; but, I have devoted to the Public more than Seven Years of my Time, at a late Stage of Life, in the Expectation that Opportunities would offer for more important Trials of my Usefulness. To those Hopes I have sacrificed many advantageous Prospects in a civil Capacity; and, I believe, that my Wishes would have been gratified, had an Expedition into Canada taken Place. I should be happy, Sir, if General Gates’s Recommendation could insure to me your Excellency’s Countenance, and incline Congress to grant me that Promotion.

By the Resignation of General Lincoln on the Vacancy of an Officer in the War Department, entrusted here with the Power of issuing Warrants to the Paymaster General, I labor under a distress which, I conceive, it is in Your Excellency’s Power immediately to relieve.

In May last, the Secretary at War gave me Orders for the Regiment of my Subsistence to that Time, and the Allowance of the One Month Pay, as given to the Rest of the Army; but he told me that, in Consequence of a Resolve of Congress, passed in December 1780, he understood my Appointment eventually ceased and that he would allow me no future Subsistence, unless he should be authorized to that Effect.

Some Time after, I saw the Resolve he referred me to, and observed that it affected no others than the "Officers in the Line of the Army," who were not "in actual Service," but General Lincoln was then gone to Virginia. His frequently travelling on the Service permitting him to stay but a very short Time here, and the ill State of my Health disabling me from knowing in Time when he returned, I never could represent to him that the Resolve did not apply to my Case.

Major Jackson, his Assistant, though made sensible of the Propriety of my Claim, would not take the Decision upon himself, and even refused to give me an Order for the Three Months Pay additionally granted on Account, in the Financier’s Notes payable after Six Months Date, which now are [become due.] The Want of that Supply and the Subsistence Money has involved [me] into many Difficulties which, I trust, Your Excellency’s Love of Justice and generous Disposition will remove, if it be in your Power. I have the Honour to be with the greatest Respect, Sir, Your Excellency’s Most humble and most obedient Servt