D Sir — The berer M^r [undecipherable] a friend of mine will apply to you for the Certificates of Doctor Green late of Armands Legion if they are in your possession, or within his power to obtain your forwarding his business will be gratefully acknowledged by Dear Sir your most Obd.^t very Hum.^d Servant Jn^o Nicholson Philad. Octo. 2.^d 1788 Joseph Howell Esq.^r Comm.^t army Acco.^t Office of Army Accounts New York October 3. 1788 — Sir — Your letter of the 10 Sep.^t with a copy of General Washingtons Certificate enclosed reached me a few days since M^r Pierce in his letter of the 20^th Feb.^y last informs you that it was the opinion of General M. Knox & Irvine that your resignation must be deemed conclusive; the Secretary at War being absent prevents me from consulting him on the propriety of admitting your claim in consequence of the Certificate now transmitted; as soon as he returns which I expect will be in about four weeks I shall lay the matter before him & give you the result immediately — I much fear the Acts of Congress of the 30 April 1778, the 1 april 1779 & the 10 Septem.^r 1783 will operate against you, however the Certificate will certainly have its proper weight, and I shall feel myself happy in having it in my power to inform you that a difference in opinion should now prevail — I would suggest to you the propriety of transmitting the original certificate of Gen.^l Washington as I conceive it necessary — Your Commission was sent by M^r Pierce to Col.^o Johnston as appears by his letter of the 20 Feb.^y last I am Sir J. Howell J.^r Capt.^t James Gibbons Petersborough Phila.^d 6 Sept.^r 1788 D Sir After Congratulating on your new and Honorable appointment, I take the liberty of informing you that I sent by Post sum time ago inclosed to the late Paymaster General the Discharge and Certificate of his services for a certain John Betters a private in the third Regiment of the Masachutes line his Discharge is signed by Colo. Crain allso a certificate from Col.^o Lamb with a power of Attorney to me — Betters is a poor honest man, with a small family he lives with me his great Dependance — if any Obstacle is