Lancaster December 24, 1785 Dear Sir, Upon settling my accounts of Pay & Depreciation with Major Bowen & Captain Beatty, there was stoppages made of four or five Hundred Dollars, which of the two I cannot at present collect, but the Books will inform you, which Major Bowen informed me, was by your orders — now you being the only person that I can rely upon, to obtain the same for me, and that knows my affairs with the public, and that I am not indebted to them, neither did they assume any debts of my contracting, for the use of my company or otherwise, which I have since too frequently found by useful experience — You were the person who settled with me at Newwindsor, and know what loss I sustained by being obliged to take Congress money, it being at that time forty for one, for which I was, and am obliged to pay hard cash pound for pound — You recollect I wrote to you, sometime before our March to Virginia upon the subject, requesting you to recover Depreciation for me on the same and received an answer from you which I enclose to freshen your memory, as time and the multiplicity of business might have erased from it — I also inclose your settlements and receipts of all other accounts & monies, that I had with the Public, requesting, that you will draw the amount of the Stoppages above mentioned together with the interest, and send them enclosed to me by some safe hand, or leave it enclosed at Cap. Fullerton's Lodgings next door to Mrs Duncan's Chesnut-Street, to be forwarded by Mr. Ottinger or Family. — I assure you it will be most heartily welcome at present; and if you can possibly do any thing else in my favor, I am very confident you will use your utmost exertions to serve me who has sacrificed his Limbs, constitution, property, and almost his life, in defence of his Country — the favor shall be thankfully acknowled[ged] and never forgotten by John Doyle P.S. My last recruiting acc^ts are settled at the Comptroller Generals as will appear by receipts and Certificates — pray be careful of the enclosed papers J.D. [Address:] Jos: Howell Esq^r