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By His Excellency, Field Marshal The Earl of Burlington, Commander-in-Chief, British Armies in America
To <font color="yellow"><b>Mark Nelms</b></font id="yellow">, Ensign in the 71st Regiment of Foot
Reposing full confidence in your loyalty, courage and good conduct, I do hereby constitute and appoint you, during pleasure, to be <b><font color="yellow">Lieutenant</font id="yellow"></b> in the 71st Regiment of Foot, taking rank and precedence from the present day. You are, therefore, carefully and diligently to discharge the duty of lieutenant by exercising and well disciplining the inferior officers and men of the said regiment, and I do hereby command them to obey you as their lieutenant, and you are to observe and follow all such orders and directions as you shall from time to time receive from me or your superior officers, according to law.
Given under My Hand and Seal at New York this Twenty-second day of May 1776 and the Sixteenth year of His Majesty's Reign,
<i>BURLINGTON</font id="Trebuchet MS"></i></center>