Revolutionary War–dated ALS signed “D. Grier,” one page, 8 x 12, January 24, 1778. Handwritten letter from Yorktown, in part: "I see by a resolve of Congress that the rank or precedence of the field officers of Pennsylvania were settled by a Board of Genl. Officers viz that Congress agree to the principle adopted by the said board 'instilling the relative rank or precedency of the officers according to the standing they held in the Army immediately before their present commissions except where persons were promoted on a principle of merit only and that the arrangement made by the said board with respect to the relative rank of the said officers be and hereby confirmed.'
Your Excell'y will see by the arrangement that the Cols. James Ross, Richard Butler, Thos. Craig, Wm. Butler & Percifer Frazier are before me. Therefore I think the board by some inadvertance have mistaken the mode adopted by the members for my comm. as Major is dated the first of June 1776 & delivered to me that day which is some time prior to the dates of either of the above Genls. commission as Major. I have been so much confined by reason of my late wound that I did not see this agreement till now I am recovering fast & expect to be in camp about the first of March. Should the mistake be rectified but should it be inconvenient to verify the mistake or should it cause any uneassence among those officers above mentioned. I am ready to resign my commission rather than it should be so were any of these officers promoted on a principle of merit only. I could not have been offended as no doubt they all have merit." In good to very good condition, with heavy overall foxing and splits to folds (including complete separation to the central horizontal fold).
