You conclude your letter, my good Sir, with an assurance, that you shall see me early in the Summer; surely you meant this by way of Joke or trial only, can you possibly conceive, that my consent would be obtained for such an absence as this? Could I stand justified, do you think, in the opinion of the public, to suffer the Officers of the States to be absent so long, at the most important and active part perhaps, of the Campaign? No Sir, it is neither to be done, nor expected; no man wishes more to gratify officers than I do, nor can any Man feel more for their private inconveniencies, because no Person suffers more by an absence from home than myself; but when I forego all the advantages of private Interest, and have more cause to regret my confinement and may suffer more by it, from a peculiarity of circumstances than any other man in the Service, from a sense of duty to the public, it cannot be presumed that that sense which totally restrains my own wishes, can give unbounded indulgencies to others. I must therefore inform you, that I cannot consent to your being longer from the Army than the 10^th of May, that will allow you as many Months, as I should be sincerely thankful, for Weeks, to go home and return in.