To His Excellency the Hon[ora]ble Sir Will[ia]m Howe. Knight of the Bath, General and Commander in Chief. &c, &c, &c

Memorial of Lieut[enan]t Col[onel] Samuel Birch, Commanding the 17th Regiment of (Light) Dragoons [.]

Sheweth [sic]

That Your Memorialist having no Troop unitl by the King's Warrant granting him Capt[ai]ns Pay, one shall become Vacant in the Regiment under which Circumstances Your Memorial sit receives less pay than any Officer of the same Rank in the Army and whereas by the Secretary at war’s Letter to your Excellency, dated the 2d June 1777 the Bounty granted as an increased [sic] Allowance for Contingencies, is confined to the Captains of Troops, Your Memorials is thereby secluded [sic] the benefit of the said Allowance except by Virtue of the same Letter, authorizing you to grant such other extraordinary Charges of the like Nature, as on your own Descretion shall seem worthy to be recommended /[sic] Your Excellency may think proper, in Consideration of the great Expences attending this Service, to grant your Memorialist a Bounty equal to the Contingent Allowance of, and from the same Date with, the other Capt[ai]ns of the Regiment.

Your Memorialist therefore prays. Your Excellency will be pleased to take the Matter into Consideration, and humbly hopes you will not think him unworthy of Your Excellency's bounty. Which is most humbly submitted.

(Signed) Samuel Birch Lieut[enan]t Col[onel]

Phil[adelphi]a 1st April 1778.

[Source: David Library of the American Revolution, Microfilm Collection, P.R.O. W.O. 1/10, 361. As transcribed by Gilbert Riddle.]