[Garrison of Pidlons Island rec^d Octo^r 10. 1798 rec^d 3 John Henry rec^d 11.^th] [Free] William Simmons Esq^r &c Accountant of the war department --- Garrison of Pidlon's Island 10.^th Oct^r 1798 Sir I am favoured with Your letter, and am much obliged by Your attention to my last letter accompanied by the pay & Muster rolls for Sept^r. —— The enclosed Certificate will shew that I made the appointments in my Company under the [underline: only restriction] named by the Secretary of war. —— This certificate would have been procured and sent with the other relative papers, had I ever conjectured, that the Secretary would not have given more credit to my own assurance, than to suppose I excluded any condition which privileged my making those appointments. —— In mustering the men under my command, I avoided including any one, who had not been received by the muster master, and catified by him as qualified soldiers in the first muster rolls returned to Your office. —— In returning those who had been once accepted, I was only [underline: governed] [strikethrough: by the custom] of other officers. —— I am Sir with high respect Y^r most obed^t Serv^t. John Henry Captⁿ 2 U^S C^s of Inft^ry W^m Simmons Esq^r