My Father will have the honor to acknowledge by this conveyance the favor of your letter of the 24th Ulto & to return his thanks with which mine are tendered for the signal mark of your Excellency’s Friendship notified thro’ a paragraph of it, an additional one to the many I have experienced and shall ever retain a proper sense of.

Having been led to believe (tho’ only from report) that Genl Thompson would find difficulty in obtaining from Congress the rank he had reason to expect from his seniority in Commission when made Prisoner, and fearful of incurring censure by waiting over for the settlement of a Matter which I thought had every appearance of meeting delay in its decision I was preparing to join my regiment with the southern Army and previous to the arrival of your Excellency’s letter proposed setting off the last of the Month for that Purpose but am diverted by it from those intentions spurred to make all possible expedition in repairing to Head Quarters ’till his arrival where I shall embrace the opportunity of acknowledging personally your Excellency’s kindness & testifying my sense of the honor conferred by my constant exertions in the punctual execution of such commands as I may from time to time receive—in the mean time with my most respectful compliments to Mrs Washington and the Gentlemen of your Family I have the honor to be with all due regard Your Excellency’s much obliged & most obedient Servant