Portland Mafs 12^th Septr 1788 Sir I wrote you on the 4^th Inst and the same day sailed for this place and had two half days passage. I find M^r Pierce's papers to be [undecipherable]. From this I [undecipherable] launched on every occasion by the old papers of the old regiment, and shall not be able to force my way through them under a number of days. If my [undecipherable] and provisions holds out, I hope however to accomplish it in about six or eight more. I have about 100 loose vouchers to examine, and from what I can conjecture M^r Pierce will fall about 200 dollars in arrears; this he says he cannot pay in, untill he has arrive from the West Indies in Autumn. He wishes to pay it in Boston to avoid the expence of sending money by land to New York. I believe I shall advise him to purchase a bill of exchange in Boston for the amount and send them enclosed to you whenever he is ready to pay it, will not that be the best way? — I shall write you more particularly on my next. Joseph Howell Esq^r. W^m Caleb Swan Annapolis 15^th Septr 1788 Sir I received your favour of the 3^d Inst. There must be some mistakes in regard to Col. Lee's information respecting the clothing charged to him in your office — the [undecipherable] of his Regiment were settled by M^r Townsend, and I presume it was from him the offer was made to deduct it from their accounts — I received a letter some time since from this Col. on the subject and in my answer informed him that I had wrote to Capt. John Hamilton who I believed could give some account of the transaction — to this letter Capt. Hamilton made no reply — and all that is in my power to say on this head is that at the time M^r Pierce was here on his way to Georgia, Capt. Hamilton mentioned to him a quantity of clothing on his books (as late Clothier to General Greene's army) with which Col. Lee (or his Ledger) was chargeable — It was M^r Pierce's desire that the acct. should be copied and sent to M^r Dunscomb. and if I am not mistaken Capt. Hamilton executed his wish — However, upon application to him I am inclined to believe every information that is necessary can be obtained at his lips in full possession of the facts — and I believe his books will help the distribution — he lives at Charlestown in Cecil County — The State of Maryland by act of Assembly grants half pay to such of their Officers as were disbanded in the Continental service as a gratuity independent of what they might earn from the United States — as it was expressly provided that no charge was to be made to the Continentals for it — the Officers made their election of the Commutation instead of the Invalid Establishment and applied to me to procure it for them — this I did from M^r Pierce, when in New York, but by some mistake forgot one of Them — [Capt.] Loving by name — after I returned and [undecipherable] it, I wrote to M^r Pierce mentioning the circumstance and desiring him to consider the information as a Claim laid in within the time prescribed — and I now beg leave to ask your attention to it — it is for a Man who [undecipherable] in the field during the war, and the marks of British bayonets has justly entitled him to every reward allowed to this grade — I will find among the accounts of his officers which I got settled as lately mentioned a copy of the act of Assembly in which his name is cited, which I presume is a sufficient claim in Season, provided the letter is not to be found —