P. S. I imagine it may be of service to communicate to Wolcott the two letters received from the Commander-in-Chief containg the results of our deliberation.

HAMILTON TO M'HENRY.

(PRIVATE.)

NEW-YORK, Dec. 19th, 1798.

DEAR SIR:

You are informed that Mr. Hill is in possession of drafts of surveys made during our last war, of our harbor and bay. It is very interesting that the government should acquire these drafts. You will, I presume, think that they ought to be deposited in your department, as an item in the general mass of information necessary towards plans of general defence. If so, you will purchase them, if it be not already done, and in this case, I will thank you for the immediate loan of them; having been charged by the Governor of this State, under the sanction of the President, with preparing a plan for the fortification of our port, which plan, when digested, will be sent to you. Should you decline the purchase, be so good as to say so to General M'Pherson, who will be requested to procure the drafts for the use of this State.

GENERAL GUNN TO HAMILTON.

December 19th, 1798.

DEAR SIR:

I have received your very friendly and obliging favor of the 17th instant. I was very solicitous to converse with you on the subject of our military establishment. But it appears to me that during your stay in this city, your whole time was occupied with

public business, and I was unwilling to interrupt you; the only moment I had the pleasure of your conversation, I certainly understood it to be your intention to return to this city in the course of a very few weeks. Indeed, it appears to me indispensable.

You are not accustomed to engage in objects of much moment without consideration; and, sir, I am persuaded it can be no part of your plan merely to execute the feeble arrangements of other men. The President has no talent for war, and McHenry is an infant in detail; and, if I am correct, General Washington is not to take the field, but in the event of the provisional army being called into service. You are of course not only charged with the command of the army, but in a great degree, the direction of the War Department; and, sir, you will permit me to add, that the legislative aid necessary for the support of that department, must be arranged by yourself. I therefore conclude that it is yet your intention to visit Philadelphia, which precludes the necessity of my going into detail.

Trained up in the honorable pursuit of a military life, I frankly confess my regard for you as a commander, and my passion for military service. But, my worthy sir, I have seen such dishonorable means employed to wound the feelings of men of unblemished integrity, and have witnessed so many efforts to render the profession of arms disreputable, that I am disgusted with every thing connected with public life. Situated in a country, in the event of war, which, most probably, will be the scene of action, I have no wish or expectation that it will be my lot to keep out of the field. But, sir, I am sincere when I assure you, that it is my fixed determination not to be commanded by some men now in commission. By this declaration, I wish it to be understood that my objection does not extend beyond the provisional army, and the field officers in any event, I entreat you to believe that it will give me infinite pleasure to do you all the service in my power.

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Have the goodness to communicate your wishes with regard to the invigoration of the measures of defence.

MY DEAR SIR:

HAMILTON TO GUNN.

NEW-YORK, December 22, 1798.

The post of yesterday brought me your favor of the 19th inst. The sentiments in it personal to me are extremely gratifying, and I am very glad to ascertain the military ground upon which you are not unwilling to stand. If things progress, I trust there will be no obstacle to your occupying it.

As to the further military arrangements, my ideas are these: Considering how little has been done towards raising the force already voted, that an important tax is yet in the first stage of an essay, that a prospect of peace is again presented by the temporizing conduct of France, that serious discontents exist in parts of the country with regard to particular laws, it appears to me advisable to postpone any actual augmentation of the army beyond the provisions of the existing laws, except as to the regiment of cavalry, which I should be glad to see increased by the addition of two troops, and by the allowing it to be recruited to the complement which has been proposed by the Commander-inChief, as that of the war establishment. What this is, will probably be communicated by the Secretary at War.

But a considerable addition ought certainly of be made to our military supplies. The communications of the Commanderin-Chief will also afford a standard for the increase in this respect, as far as concerns the force to be employed in the field. There are, however, some other objects of supply equally essential, which were not within the view of those communicationsheavy cannon for our fortifications, and mortars for the case of a siege. Of the former, including those already procured and procuring, there ought not to be fewer than one thousand, from eighteen to thirty-two pounders, chiefly of twenty-fours; of the latter, including those on hand, there ought to be fifty of teninch calibre. This, you perceive, looks to offensive operations. If we are to engage in war, our game will be to attack where we France is not to be considered as separated from her ally. Tempting objects will be within our grasp.

can.

Will it not likewise be proper to renew and extend the idea of a provisional army? The force which has been contemplated as sufficient in any event, is 40,000 infantry of the line, 2,000 riflemen, 4,000 cavalry, and 4,000 artillery, making in the whole an army of 50,000. Why should not the provisional army go to the extent of the difference between that number and the actual army? I think this ought to be the case, and that the President ought to be authorized immediately to nominate the officers, to remain without pay until called into service. The arrangements can then be made with sufficient leisure for the best possible selection, and the persons designated will be employed in acquiring instruction.

It will likewise deserve consideration, whether provision ought not to be made for classing all persons from eighteen to forty-five inclusively, and for draughting out of them, in case of invasion, by lot, the number necessary to complete the entire army of fifty thousand. In the case of invasion, the expedient of draughting must be resorted to, and it will greatly expedite it if there be a previous classing with a view to such an event. The measure, too, will place the country in a very imposing attitude, and will add to the motives of caution on the part of our enemies.

These measures are all that appear to be advisable with regard to our military establishment under present appearances. A loan as an auxiliary will of course be annexed.

HAMILTON TO MCPHERSON.

NEW-YORK, December 26, 1798.

DEAR SIR:

A Captain Hill, formerly of the British service, now in Philadelphia, is in possession of drafts of surveys, which were made during our war, of the port and harbor of New-York. If the Secretary at War, of whom you will please to inquire, has not

procured them for the United States, you will oblige me by purchasing them for the use of this State. The money which you may pay will be reimbursed upon notice of the amount. If separable, I wish for those only from the Narrows downward to the Hook. But if an entire draft, it must be purchased together.

HAMILTON TO M'HENRY.

NEW-YORK, January 7, 1799.

SIR:

The unascertained situation in which I have been since my acceptance of the military appointment I now hold, has been not a little embarrassing to me. I had no sooner heard of the law creating the office, than I was told by members of Congress that I was generally considered as the person designated by circumstances to fill that office, and that the expectation of those who most actively promoted the passing of the law was, that the Inspector-General would be brought into immediate activity, particularly to superintend the raising and organizing of the troops.

This is mentioned as a mere item in the incidents which influenced my calculations and arrangements.

Very soon after, if not at the time, you communicated to me my appointment, you intimated, though not officially, your desire that I might occupy myself in preparing for the consideration of the Executive a system of tactics and discipline; and not long after, you expressed to me your intention to commit to me the supervision of the recruiting service.

In October I received your summons to attend at the seat of government with the Commander-in-Chief. I obeyed, and devoted to the purposes of this summons about a month and a half.

I received, in due course, a letter from your department, stating the expectation of the President that the Generals would think it proper to waive the emoluments of their stations till called into service. In my reply I acquiesced.