Lancaster January 22d 1786 D. Sir, I have received your letter of the 15th ult involving the certificate retained - I believe I must lose the [indecipherable] as your office was my last resort - I cannot at this distance of time recollect what [indecipherable] it can be that the sum charged by W. Denning in useful money can be for - of this I am confident that I gave Colonel Chambers exact statements of every charge that I knew of that could arise against the regiment when I left it and I believe that every article of clothing drawn within the time you mention has been accounted for - I know that when we marched from Valentine’s Tavern to White Plains in Oct 1776, some clothing drawn a few days before, and which owing to the regiment’s being unexpectedly ordered on a particular duty at the time could not be assured was for want of waggons to move it further return’d to the Qmaster’s store at Fort Washington and there taken, of which I have authentic vouchers. It will, I think be hard on me if I must lose the three months pay, drawn and returned by Col. Chambers, the transaction was without my knowledge or concurrence - I was at that time on duty on the Ohio by particular order of Congress, and if Col. Chambers had never drawn the money surely, I would be entitled to my pay from the UStates that is, the sum so much Continental money was worth at the time it became due - If I knew the particular time the clothing you mention was drawn & by whose order, I possibly might be able to give you more satisfactory information - in the meantime I am with compliments to Mr. Pierce. D. Sir Your obed & humble serv Edward Hand Jos Howell, Esq.