West Point June 7, 1784 — Sir, In consequence of being deprived my Pay and Subsistence of Major, agreeably to Commission, on the present Reformation of the Army, I beg leave to address you — at this late Hour, because it will partly be affected, by a Legislation, who had no Commission of Major, warrant appointed in lieu of me. it was well known that Congress had made my Situation in the Service very peculiar — Whether it would place, considering the combined effect of the public finances, for which I am attentive I feel much as any Man, that one more general or many other inferior Officers, should have continued to so small a number of Men, not to devise, that it was so determined the Reduction is one sufficient, and when is once considered that the same Principles however, which obtained in the Army formerly, will, and must also prevail now it is evident