Agreably to Your Excellency’s permission Major troop Has My Leave to Return to the Army1—the Commanding officers Have Represented that He Was under indispensable Necessity to Go, and We Can very well do Without Him Untill the Arrival of an other Major.

Colonel Vose is, I am told, Very Desirous to Return to the Army—He Has there a Regiment,2 and Before we join General Greene our Bataïllons will Be Very Small—But other Business Recall Him, and I Beg leave to Represent to Your Excellency that Clel Smith Would Be Very well Calculated for Such A Command.

When Appointed to the Adjudant Generalcy of this Small Corps, Clel Smith Had the Hope that we Would either Operate Against Arnold, or Be A Van guard to Your Army As they Had Been Last Year—But the Corps Being thrown into the line of the Southern Army Clel Smith would act as An inspector Under Officers who are inferior to Him in Rank of Commission—He is for the present Unwell at this place where Your letter would find Him, and Untill I Receive Your Answer I will differ Hearing the Reasons of Clel Vose.3 With the Highest and Most affectionate Respect I Have the Honor to Be Your Excellency’s Most obedien[t] Humble Servan[t]

By a gen[t]leman just from philadelphia I am Assured that the pennsylvania line is Ready to March to the Southward, and that Congress Have Received the official intelligence of an Embarcation Having taken place at Newyork destined to New Castle4—in that Case we would Be Upon the Spot—But Unless I Receive Contrary orders from you, or I See the Ennemy in the River I will not delay the Execution of your orders.5