New York ye 15 Sept. 1780
My Dear Oliver
As You Promised me Sometime before His Excellency went on that Happy and Succesfull Expedition to Charles Town you would Solicit S Henry CLINTON on the Affair of My Pay as Colonel of DeLanceys first Battallion My having Little opportunity of Speaking to You, and Knowing a Quicernos [?] in Myself in Making Applications for what I Construe to be My Just Due.
I have only to Putt You in Mind that I Expect You will Make the Aplication
You Can Inform the General that on the 4 Sept. 1776 Sir W[illiam] H[OWE] on His own Idea of My Services Gave me a Warrant in Authentic Fo[rm] to Raise three Battallions Each to Consist of 500 Men Each that I was to Recommend the Officers for his Aprobation & for Commissions
that on ye 29 Septr. 1776 I was in orders as Colonel of DeLanceys first Battallion for Which I Raised a Compleat Company at Great Expence
that During Sir William HOW's Command I was Generally So Distant from Head Quarters where I had been told that My Warrant & Being in General Orders as Brigadier and Colonel was as Valid as having [a] formal Commission.
That the Present Commander in Chief did give me a Commission Dated ye 25 May 1778
I Can assert that Neither I or any Other Person Did Receive pay in ye Said Battallion as Colonel before ye 24th September 1779 So that I am Justly Intitled to Pay from ye 29 Sept. 1776 but at any Rate from ye 25 May 1778 to ye 24 Sept. 1779.
As I Cannot Conjecture a Reason for your not having made the Desired Requisition you [will] be Pleased now to Do it
I have Inclosed Colo. INNIS Certificate which You have returned to me as it is a voucher of ye Propriety of of [sic] My Demand which I Desire You May now Do or Putt this Letter into Sir Henry CLINTON's Hand
I ever am
Your Most Affectionate Father
Oliver DeLANCEY Br. Gl.
Major Oliver DeLANCEY A D Camp
to ye Commander in Chief
University of Michigan, William L. Clements Library, Sir Henry Clinton Papers, Volume 123, folio 22a.
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