make a partial settlement and suffer such a length of time to pass away without making a further claim Captain Michael Gilbert has credited the State of Maryland for the sum of 84.12.6 on settlement of his account.— the certificates N°. 67.285 for 128⁸² & N°. 92.340. for 430.⁷⁰ for balance of his pay were sent on the 7 Jan^y. 1786. to M^r White & acknowledg- ed by him to have been received — the accounts of M^r M^cCoy I have delivered to M^r Burrale Commiss^r for the D^t M^r Gen^l departm^t. who I expect will do the needful.— enclosed you will receive the orders of Captain Carlisle & Cap^t Gilbert the latter being unnecessary, for the former you will please to substitute the name of another as I cannot give a receipt to myself, you may leave a blank to be filled by Yours &c— J Howell J^r A Dunscomb esq^r Office of Army Accounts New York Jan^y 16^th 1789— Sir Your letter of the 19. Decem^r last, covering sundry papers for the services of Zachariah Cookeway yesterday received It being my wish to serve every soldier who has sacrificed his time for the service of this country con- sistant with my duty to the United States, and a regard to my character induced me to give every possible weight to your request. — by the letter of M^r C[undecipherable] that the claim was made i[undecipherable] some months after the limitation made by Congress.— I have examined the several returns made by you previous to the 1 Aug^t 1786. in none of which appears the name of Zacharias Cooke— the claim must therefore be considered as foreclosed I feel unhappy that you should suggest the Idea I might readily "dispence with the rules of office & consider this claim as entitled to notice: and to issue certificates accordingly"— certainly my friend Andrew would not wish that I should subject myself to censure much more that I should act contrary to a solemn oath given; and to the act of that Hon^ble body who has been the means of my preferment, & pleasing situ- ation in life, & whose confidence and instruction it would be criminal in me to violate— the several papers sent me are herewith returned— Sam^y J. Howell J Howell esq^r Annapolis 2 January 1789 D^r Sir I wrote to you on the 29^th Ult^o. enclosing a letter to go by the New York pacquet— I now take the liberty of troubling you with the Orders of Major Carlisle an[d] Cap^t Mich^d Gilbert, whose certificates if received, I request you to enclose to Major John Carlisle at Bush Town Harford County Maryland, franked by yourself; and I have further to request that you will inform me whether [undecipherable: probable reading — knowing] sums advanced by the State of Mary[undecipherable]— [undecipherable: probable reading — de]ducted from their final Settlement and [undecipherable]