Phil: Delph: May 7 1784 Sir I beg you to [undecipherable] your attention to the letter from M^r Henry, which your Excellency put into my hands yesterday. I am unhappy that the personal opinion of a member of Congress is not a sufficient authority by which my conduct can be supported.— Congress by their Resolve of January the 8 Feb[ruar]y 1783 have directed me to allow no claims which may be brought for half pay or commutation by any Officer or any class or denomination of Officers to whom it has not been theretofore been [undecipherable] by promise— Your Excellency will perceive by the resolutions of Congress, that there is no general provision for this half pay to the Army, but what [undecipherable] its extension to those [which at the same time] only shall continue in the service to the end of the war, and that the Resolve under which half [undecipherable] related [undecipherable] no provision of this nature— [undecipherable] of the [sentiments?] of M^r Henry's [undecipherable] that the same principles which granted it to those Officers who enlisted under the resolution of Oct 1780 ought to extend to be much more to those who enlisted in our service a year longer, and which, will undoubtedly influence Congress (when it shall be laid before them) to do [undecipherable] me to allow it, but [undecipherable] warranted in my conduct by the [undecipherable] motive, as I cannot find that [undecipherable] Henry [undecipherable] under any promise of Congress [undecipherable] this [undecipherable] requested; I do not find myself at liberty to follow my inclinations to do justice to so worthy an Officer. [Copy] [Philadelphia May 7 '84 [undecipherable] [undecipherable] Lt. [undecipherable] [undecipherable]]