[Copy] Mount Vernon Aug 1^st 1788 Sir, I received your letter of the 15^th ult^o and can only assure you, respecting the subject to which it refers, that upon a recurrence to the General Hours, I find your Brevet promotion communicated to the Army in the words of the resolve of Congress, and that by further researches among the manuscripts of Resolutions, I can discover nothing more on the subject — what was the understanding, at the time when you resigned your Regimental Commission, I cannot at this distant period ascertain, I may — but I do not think it was absolutely necessary that the resignation of a Commission on the line should have involved the resignation of one held by the same Brevet by Brevet — I conceal no other Commissioners for settling the Army Accts must be the Finer[undecipherable] Judges of right and property in this case with due regard am Sir Y^r Ob^t Serv^t G: Washington Major James Gibbon --- Philadelphia Sept^r 10^th 1788 Sir I am honored with your letter of the 8^th Inst and beg you to accept my thanks for your good intentions — Besides, I take the liberty of sending a letter to M^r Pierall which I request you will hand to him, it is respecting our Salary about which M^r White has already wrote to him — Should he mention any thing to you Brevet thank you for a line on the subject with regard W^m M^r Serv^t Joshua Dawson Joseph Howell Esq^r