of the Post of Machias & gave him the Command with a Cols Commission.  Congress in Feb 81 if I mistake not, empowerd our supreme Executive to enlarge that Compy to the Number of 65, officers included, & to officer the same with the express Nomination of Colo Allan to the Command.  This Compy was by the Resolve to be raisd cloathed subsisted & paid as other officers & Soldiers of the us.  I believe Colo A has executed the trusts reposed in him with Fidelity & to the Advantage of the Publick.  As this State has supplied him at the Expence of the U S, I suppose that his Accots which remain to be settled, will as his former Accts have been, be settled in the first Instance by our Assembly when it meets.  He takes the Oppty in the Interval (the War being finishd) to wait on Congress for their further Direction.  Your Notice of him & Care that he may receive such Emoluments as he may be intitled to as an officer will oblige me.  I think he has too much Republican Pride to expect more than is reasonable from Congress, & he is too much the Gentleman to be troublesome to you.  I write this without his knowledge.

Another calls upon me.  You will think me a Man of Importance!  But this is one of my Days of Business.  Is it not strange that an officer of the American Army should apply to the Friendship of one whom they have been led to look upon as their Enemy?  But—­I am informd that Colo Badlam was among the first who flew to Arms, that he has sustained the Character of a meritorious officer.  If he has been unfortunate rather than faulty or if guilty of a Fault it was attended with Circumstances very alleviating why should an officer of Merit at the very close of the War be deprivd of the Benefits which are allotted to others?  I think I know your feelings for that officer and perhaps your private Judgment of his Case from your Letter to him which I have seen.  What Advantage can he expect from an Application to this State?  Would not a Recommendation to Congress from Head Quarters in his favor answer a much better Purpose?  This is only a Hint to you.  Perhaps I am out of my Line.  I will conclude this Epistle with congratulating you most heartily on the return of Peace with Liberty and Independence & assuring you that I am affectionately

Yours

TO HORATIO GATES.

[Ms., Emmet Collection, Lenox Library.]

Boston May 2 1783

MY DEAR SIR

Our Friend Colo John Allan takes the Care of this Letter and will deliver it to you.  The War being finishd, he is going to Philadelphia to receive such Directions as Congress shall think proper to give to him.  You remember he was appointed in 77, Agent of the St Johns & Nova Scotia Indians, and he has since commanded an Artillery Company raised by this State for the Defence of the Post at Machias, adopted by Congress in Feb. 81 and cloathd subsisted & paid as other Officers & Soldiers of the United States.  He has I doubt not, executed the Trusts reposed in him with Fidelity, and I think is entitled to the Emoluments given to Officers of his Rank.  I have given him a Letter to the Secretary at War &c.