Norwich, 8^th Sep^t 1801 Dear Sir — The other day when I was at N York, my Son there was accidently meeting with unexpected Disappointments, and being in great haste, I returned home. By your attention to my application, by way of Correspondence, I have no notion that you would wish to destroy me as an individual, unpaid, but that you would wish otherwise, that I be Compensated and rewarded — At the request of Gov^r. Trumbull and Council I commenced in public service of the United States, immediately after the battle of Bunker Hill, attended the wounded there, & Continued through all the burdens of the War — In 1777 April 11^th was appointed Surgⁿ. Gen^l. of the Military Hospitals of Congress, & in that Character served till the arrangement of the Hospital department Oct^r. 7^th 1780 when I was appointed as Physician & Surgeon, not having the rank and Standing as heretofore, (no wrong) reduced & derangy &c, but at the pleasure of Congress, however the Circumstances, and State of Hospital affairs were such that I continued in actual Service to the 18^th June 1781 when I declined to private practice as P^r Doc^tr. Cochran's certificate — entitled to have & receive the same pay, amount of Commutation and emoluments as other Citizens so deranged. — As to my letter of the 1^st June 1781 to Doc^tr. Cochran it never entered my heart any such thing as resignation, as any thing looking like it, there is nothing more contained in that letter than an abso- lute refusal of that appointment, and as the all wise protecting God would have it neither Congress nor the Board of War ever noticed Doc^t. Cochran's report it was a misunderstanding of his, and by his wrongly applied in his letter of the 5^th July. On his return of August 1^st 1781 — Congress and the Board treated it as such (un noticed) continuing me as one of the fifteen Surgeons (appointed by them) till 7^th January 1782 — If the Board of War, or Congress had ever acted on P^r report, any way, or appointed any one in my stead, perhaps something might have been said on the subject, but as they never did, there is an end, allowing they had acted on report it could not have appeared against me, Sam invited by their doings, as a deranged, retired officer, not only so, but from their continuing me from the beginning to the end, in that sense, (in every other sense settled) there is no going from it, providence has ordered otherwise if the Journals are compleat. — Take my letter of J. B. of June to Doctor Cochran (which is the letter referr'd to) read it over and over again; make the most of it, you possibly can, you will find no resignation there, or any where else, things of this nature ought to be explicit, particular so; its not in the power of the head of any Department to make reports & returns of the officers relative to resignation without being properly Authorised, Doctor Cochran had no Design to injure me, I dont blame him, I esteem him as a Gentleman of Him and a friend, his conduct will suf- fer me to say there was nothing [strikethrough: more] in that letter than a refusal of that appointment, wrote in spirit, I was rested and mortified, knowing that I was deranged, not by my Desire, or wish, but that I was at the pleasure of Congress, & that I had a right to retire, being entitled to all the emoluments mentioned heretofore. What a curiosity it is to talk of resignation, and how that I had forfeited every thing in that Channel, when I served the whole war, or near its close, what had I to resign, I had neither Commission nor Warrant, nor never had received any, on that appointment — You will take this matter, with your care & Deliberate order as you would be done by, pray Don't put [undecipherable] to Congress, by way of petition, why am I Deserving of all this trouble, you cant but be satisfied, you are every way authorized to close with me, & every Voucher necessary, if after all this, there be any hesitation, apply the question, they shall be answered and explained. Dear Sir pray favor the securities and Warr^t. me with your correspondance Your friend and Hum^l. Serv^t. P. Turner — M^r. Howell, Commissioner & Pay master Gen^l. to y^e Army [Note: the papers alluded to, are returned to Doc Turner by the hands of Gen^l. Brooks &c, see my letter to the latter of the 8^th Nov^r. 1798. The office of the Certificates on file with the office of the Hospital is returned.] N.B. the papers & Certificates alluded to in the foregoing letter are enclosed and filed with the Original