Philadelphia Sep^t 6 1784 Sir In answer to your letter of the 2^d Instant, I must inform you, that a resolve of December 31 1781 has deranged all Officers of the Army not belonging to the line of any State, except those who should by the Secretary at War be reported to Congress to be retained in the Service — your name not being thus reported you must be considered as retiring under that resolve — which makes no promise of half pay for life & a resolution of Congress of [undecipherable] [undecipherable] having directed me to give the commutation to no persons except where it has been expressly promised, I can not consider you as Entitled to this allowance — [& M^r Bartesons] The certificate you mention to have been given to me, was by me on a consultation on your case, given to M^r [undecipherable], who did not return it to me — he will undoubtedly on my application to him give you — satisfy you on the subject — I beg [undecipherable] [undecipherable] to inform you that no proper [undecipherable] language [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [draft] authority to give me order to issue or not to issue the commutation, and that I will therefore it is needless for you to attempt [underline: submit to no order from any person whatever obtaining] orders on me from any other quarter— I am Sir Your Most Obedient Servant