I see by a resolve of Congress that the Rank or Precedence of the field officers of Pennsylvania were settled by a Board of Genl Officers Viz. “that Congress Agree to the Principle Adopted by the said Board in settling the Relative Rank or Precedency of the Officers According to that standing they held in the Army immediately before their Present Commissions (Except where Persons were Promoted on a Principle of Merit only.) And that the arangemt made by the said Board with Respect to the relative Rank of the said officers be and is hereby Confirmed.”1

Your Excelly will see by the Arangemt that the Cols James Ross, Richd Buttler Thos Craig Wm Buttler & Percifer Frazier are before me.2 Therefore I think the Board by some inadvertance have mistaken the Mode Adopted by themselves, for my Comn as Majr is dated the first of June 1776 & delivered to me that Day which is some time Prior to the dates of either of the above Gentn Commissions as Majr. I have been so much confined by Reason of my late wound that I did not see this Arangmt till now I am Recovering fast & Expect to be in Camp About the first of March should the Mistake be rectified;3 but should it be inconvenient to rectify the Mistake or should it Cause any Uneasiness Among those Officers Above mentioned: I am ready to resign my Commission rather then it should be so were any of these officers Promoted on a Principle of Merit only I Could not have been Offended as no Doubt they all have Merit And one I am sensible has superior Merit towit Richd Buttler And ought to be Promoted on that score the others may have as much as him for any thing I know to the Contrary but as they have should had Promotion on that score only I hope your Excellency will Excuse the Trouble of this Application as I think it wd not be right to have sent a Resignation until I was fully informed whether it was by Mistake or ententionally. I am your Excellencys most Obt & Humble Servt