Meanwhile Captain Pike was panting for promotion--dear to every soldiers heart, and in his case well deserved. His majority was in sight but not in hand. There appears to have been a technical obstacle in his way. We often smile at the witticism expressed in the phrase: "the United States and New Jersey." Like most such things, it is not new. Being a Jerseyman, Captain Pike was required to establish the fact that he was not an alien to the United States--not for that reason, perhaps--still he was required to produce certain evidence of citizenship, as the following curious correspondence shows: NEW-JERSEY. TRENTON 23^d March 1808. It appears by the records of this State, that Cap^t. John Pike, in the Year 1666, was one of the Original purchasers of & Settlers in Woodbridge--a magistrate & member of Council under the Proprietory government.--I have been well acquainted with Major Zebulon Pike, from my Childhood and with Capt. John Brown (Lieuten^t. of Cavalry in the revolutionary War) also a Native of Woodbridge--and whose daughter Cap^t. ZM. Pike married; so that Cap^t Pike has good reason to claim New-Jersey, not only as his Native State, but as the residence of his family for near a Century & a half. [Signed] Joseph Bloomfield The above certificate of Governor Bloomfield was inclosed by Pike to the War Department with the following letter: WASHINGTON CITY 4 Apl 1808 SIR! Having received the enclosed document from Gov^r. Bloomfield on the 27^th Ult^o.--who has particularly interested himself in my promotion in the profession my inclination has induced me to persue; I should not have conceived it necessary to have laid it before you had I not understood that you expressed a doubt as to the place of my nativity; and whether, the state of Jersey, was that of which I had a right to claim a Citizenship. I had not conceived that it would be requisite for a native of America who had served his country in Arms for Years (And his forefathers before him) to establish the Locality of his birth right but the prevoy prevoyance of my respected friend His Excells Gov^r. Bloomfield has laid it in my power to satisfy Gen^l. Dearborne on that Subject--I hope I shall be pardoned for thus intrudeing myself on the time of the Sec^y of War, and beg leave to offer assurances of High respect & Esteem---- [Signed] Z. M. PIKE The Hon^l. HEN^RY DEARBORNE. Sec^y War Dep^t.