West Point June 7, 1784 — Sir, In consequence of being deprived my Pay and Subsistence of Major, agreeable to Commission, in the present Reformation of the Army, I beg leave to address you — at this late Hour, since it will hardly be affected, why a Captain, who had no Commission of Major, was not appointed in lieu of me, it was well known that Congress had made my Situation in the Service very peculiar — whether it would grace, considering the embarrass'd State of the public Finances, for which I am certain I feel much as any Man, that one Major General, so many other inferior officers should have continued so small a number of men, not to decide, that it was so determined [that] the Reduction is to me sufficient, and when it is once considered that the same Principle however, which obtained in the Army formally were, and must also prevail now it is reduced unless some ample Regulation is made to the contrary, I think it will not be denied any Military Man, that every Person so remaining will of right merit the same respect, for however varied the mode of the late Reduction might have been from others, this nevertheless is a part of the same army in which we have long served, whose modes of government are well established and known — It may be observed that Congress in this Reduction Resolved that only three field officers saved continued to the Infantry. I shall observe there have been two other reforms of this army since my appointment of Major, and at each of these it was also determined that so many field officers only, and 11 many Captains shall be continued, and yet Major Sumner was called upon, and continued a Captain in a Regiment, during such Reforms, without the least injury to his Appointment of Major, and in the latter Reductions very few troops, except from the lines now in service, were continued — the being a Captain in this Reform can take from me a [undecipherable] Congress or prejudice my great Claim any more the [undecipherable] appointment in another Regiment, I shall think the [undecipherable] very odd indeed, had I have a Major only, and accepted a Commission in this Corps the Case would now be clear against me, or had a new Enlistment taken place, and engaged a Captain then to my majority would have ceased also, but this my Claims in this Army are singular, I have never been more, or less, than a Captain in a Regiment with the Commission of Major in the Army. These I now enjoy, neither [strikethrough: A discontinuation] A continuation of one with Appointment, one Moment since I received them — Viewing my Case at present I believe you will easily conceive my situation as it respects my feelings very lively, and in point of Interest injurious, if this Regiment is any part of the old American Army I have a perfect Claim on the Public for the Allowance of Major, and I think myself as a Subaltern Officer entitled to your Interposition and Justice on the Subject, when I am deranged as a Captain in a particular Regiment I shall not rest as a Major without an Express Resolve for the purpose but in my present Situation with all deference to your Sir I know I am entitled to that allowance unless Congress expressly by a revocation of my Commission declares to the contrary, for this, as Colo Hall shall testify, was the very Basis of my request to them for 'promotion' The Privilege of my 6^th in a particular Corps, and without this, I would have taken my Commission, for in that very address I declared to them, that I then considered my Situation as a Captain preferable to a Major after, and Congress alone, without being [undecipherable], could not redress my Grievance, but would rather the more injure me — I am with perfect Esteem, and the highest Respect your devoted humblewant Sumner [a true Copy] [sent Copy]