[Cover wrapper: Joseph Howell Esq / Commissary of Army [Accounts?] / From & To / John Lawrence / [undecipherable] & [undecipherable] / [Jany?] 4. 179[1?] / 4^th NY] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] 179[?] Sir [undecipherable] ago [undecipherable] to [undecipherable] on [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] relative to the [Claims?] of [undecipherable] George Smith Late a [Lieutenant?] in one of the [Newport?] Regiments — He informs me they were [undecipherable] to y[our] office, for [settlement?] [undecipherable] I [undecipherable] to [undecipherable] [undecipherable] long this [Subject?] [undecipherable] [have?] to [much?] oblige[d?] to you to let me know [whether?] [undecipherable] within a [settlement?] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] I am your obed Servant John Lawrence Joseph Howell Esq[uire?] Sir Agreeable to your request this day I beg [leave?] to inform you that I have not from a multitude of business been able to State the [files?] of M^r Smith. I will endeavour to have it done to morrow. [But?] [from?] I apprehend M^r Smith [expects?] depreciation in his pay, this cannot be done in my opinion without the [interference?] of Congress, there being no existing [acts?] admitting it unless he can prove he was in Service after the [10^th?] April 1783. [I have?] the Honor to be Sir Your Obed[ient?] Serv[ant?] [J. Howell?] Jany 4. 179[1?] The Hon[orable?] M^r Lawrence Esq[?]