To George Washington from Colonel Francis Johnston, 11 June 1778
From Colonel Francis Johnston
Camp Mount Joy [Pa.]
June 11th 1778
May it please Your Excelly
I beg leave to inform Your Excelly that the bearer Captn Kimmell, Pay Master to my Regiment, is under the necessity of leaving the service, a thing extremely disagreeable to him, but such is the peculiar situation of his affairs, in consequence of his father’s Death, that he cannot possibly avoid it.
Lieutt Vernon of my Regt with your Excellency’s Approbation will act in Mr Kimmell’s room—should Your Excelly approve of him, it perhaps wou’d not be improper to put it in Orders, otherwise the Paymaster Genl will not furnish him with any Cash on the Abstracts he shall deliver in.
Mr Kimmell means to remain on this Ground till all his Accounts are settled1—I have the honor to be Your Excelly’s Most obt Sert
F. Johnston
ALS, PHi: Dreer Collection.
1. Michael Kimmell (1736–1818) was appointed a first lieutenant in the 4th Pennsylvania Regiment in January 1776, and in May 1777 he was made paymaster of the 5th Pennsylvania Regiment with a commission backdated to March. He became a captain before leaving the army in July 1778. Job Vernon (c.1750–1810) was appointed an ensign in the 4th Pennsylvania Regiment in January 1776 and gained promotion to second lieutenant in October 1776. He transferred to the 5th Pennsylvania Regiment as a first lieutenant in January 1777 and later became a captain-lieutenant with a commission dated from January 1778. In February 1780 he was promoted to captain with a commission backdated to June 1779. He left the army in January 1783. Johnston’s letter to GW is docketed “agreed to by Letter, to act pro. tem.,” but no reply has been found; Vernon’s appointment as paymaster was not announced in General Orders until 28 Oct. 1778.