Autograph Letter Signed to an unnamed secretary of state.

Erskine, who died in 1806, was the grandson of the 27th Earl of Mar. 3 pages, 8vo. In very good condition. The letter, addressed to 'your Excellency', concerns 'The Honble. Captain Cunningham who had resigned a Troop of Dragoons on the Irish Establishment to go upon Service with the same rank in my unfortunate Regiment of Swiss Chasseurs'. As the correspondent had previously expressed his 'Sentiments on the Propriety of the Application', Cunningham hopes that he will 'now be pleased to lay his peculiar Situation before The King and to entreat that his Majesty would be graciously pleased to give orders for his being honored with an Officiall letter signifying that Capt. Cunningham has not lost his rank in the Army by testifying his Duty to his Majesty in using every means to go upon actuall Service'. For Erskine Cunningham's present situation is 'a very heavy aggravation of the unexampled hardships that have been put upon me'. He asks for help in his application to Lord Grantham for relevant papers by the the King, the Duke of Wirtemberg and Monsieur de Mosheim. These are 'of most material consequence to the determination of my Case, which your Excellency's & Mr Townshends obliging representations perswaded The India Company to refer to the decision of Arbitrators'. He is concerned that 'the Successor of Lord Grantham in office may not have the same Sentiments of Jusice' regarding his 'claim on The Company'. The appeal does not appear to have been successful: among the Hodgkin Papers at the British Library is a letter from Erskine to Matthew Lewis, Deputy Secretary-at-War, 14 November 1786, 'on finding no officers of his regiment in the Army List'. Wrapped in a discoloured, creased and frayed folio sheet, docketed 'J.. F.. Erskine | Lawyers.'