few additional hands of this description. In every thing, however, economy, as much as possible, will be consulted. With great consideration and respect, I have the honor to be your obed't serv't. SIR: HAMILTON TO NEW-YORK, October 4th, 1799. by Inclosed is a duplicate of my letter of the which you are instructed to purchase ground for the purpose of winter quarters. I am now to request that you will immediately require of the contractors to procure, on public account, the number of boards or slabs, or both, which you shall deem sufficient for two complete regiments, with their officers, and for the floors of the huts of the officers, and for bunks for the noncommissioned officers and privates. It is contemplated that the latter will dispense with flooring, as was done during the late war, or will make the floors out of the fragments of wood, cut from the premises; and that the commissioned officers, as usual, will be provided with their own camp beds and camp stools. Nails must also be procured at the rate of regiment. pounds to a full You are already informed, that three regiments are to quarter together; but it is supposed that these, during the present winter, may not average more than 400 each. If it is found that they will exceed, the provision will be extended. Sufficient ground must be allotted in each case for a complete regiment. The following dimensions for huts are conceived to be the most eligible, viz.: Those for the non-commissioned officers and privates. Those for lieutenant-colonels commandant, One hut is to be allowed to every twelve corporals or privates. One to each field officer, and One as a kitchen to each mess of officers, and to each field officer. The number of Albany boards of fourteen feet in length, and inches in breadth, which are estimated to be necessary for the huts of a regiment, in respect to the above mentioned particulars, is. While this is mentioned as a guide, the number must of course vary with the dimensions of the boards, which are made in your quarter, and with the more or less of use which shall be made of slabs. In this quarter, boards have been preferred, because they can be afterwards sold for nearly their first cost; while slabs (the price of which would be about two-thirds of that of boards) could not be sold again but as fuel. It is possible that in the vicinity of the place for your quarters, slabs may be obtainable at so cheap a rate as to render them preferable in the view of economy to boards. This is submitted to your judgment; but it would be agreeable that you should first confer on the subject with the agent of the War Department. The dimensions of the huts have been somewhat influenced by the length of Albany boards, and by the desire to preserve them, in order that they may be in a condition to be sold again, with little or no loss. If the size of your board should be dif ferent, you are at liberty to vary the dimensions of the huts of the non-commissioned officers and privates with the same view. This will lead to a different distribution of persons to each hut. The number twelve, however, appears to me to be an eligible standard for a mess. Experience in some of the European armies has proved that large messes, by promoting savings, tend to the comfort of the troops. And in the formation which I contemplate for the full complement of a regiment, twelve will form the smallest subdivision. Hence I should not wish the dimen sions to be altered, unless for some material inducement of economy. The huts of the non-commissioned officers and privates should be in one line of the company; officers in another, fifty feet distant; and of the field officers in a third, fifty feet distant from the last. The distance may, however, depend on the form of the ground. Particular care must be taken that there be no waste of timber or wood. The present may not be the only winter in which the troops may be quartered at the place intended. E. Stevens, Esq. has been instructed to procure and forward a supply of carpenters' tools. It is presumed that men will be found in the regiments who can execute such parts as may require a degree of carpenters' knowledge. The senior of the lieutenant-colonels commandant, (who I presume is yourself,) by the rules lately promulgated, will assume the command. If I am mistaken in supposing you to be the senior, you will inform me of it. If it be another, you will write to him accordingly, giving him a copy of this letter for his government, but you will nevertheless go on with the preparatory measures. The men already recruited are to be drawn as fast as possible to the place of their winter quarters, and are to be put under cover without delay. Such as may be successively recruited are also to be drawn thither; and for this purpose an extra provision of materials for huts is to be made by the men who may be first on the ground. But the recruiting service is still to proceed, until each regiment shall be carried to its complement. Accordingly, after assigning a proportionate number of officers to the command of the men already enlisted, the others are to continue on the recruiting service in their respective sub-districts. You will immediately inform Colonels Hunewell and Graves, of the precise plan of winter quarters. SIR: HAMILTON TO COLONEL MOORE. NEW-YORK, October 6th, 1799. It is afflicting to learn that such a dispute as you state in your letter of the 3d instant should have occurred between two officers of the American army. Particular attachment to any foreign nation is an exotic sentiment which, where it exists, must derogate from the exclusive affection due to our own country. Partiality to France at this late day is a bad symptom. The profession of it by Captain, in my opinion, does him no honor. How far it ought to impair confidence, must depend in a degree on personal character. But as often as a similar bias is manifested, the conduct of the person ought to engage the vigilant attention of the commanding officer. I hesitate as to what my duty requires on the occasion, and must think further of the matter. You will be pleased to ascertain, and inform me whether Lieutenant be an American citizen or not. You will receive another letter of this date on the subject of winter quarters. With confidence and esteem. HAMILTON TO M'HENRY. TRENTON, October 12th, 1799. SIR: It is now time to contemplate the distribution of the troops of the United States into divisions and brigades. The arrangement which appears to me expedient for the present is this: "That the four old regiments shall form one division and two brigades; the twelve new ones, two divisions and four brigades. The very great sphere of action to which the former are destined, including important and complicated objects, appears to me to render it expedient that not more than two regiments shall constitute a brigade. But the latter, till there should be actual service, when the system supposes that the number of each regiment would be increased, may, for the mere purposes of discipline, be conveniently formed three to a brigade. The disposition for winter quarters accords with this idea. Correspondent officers should be appointed, who are principally generals, quartermasters, and inspectors. The latter are of the competency of the inspector-general, who will proceed without delay to make the appointments. If the non-appointment of the quartermaster-general, provided for by the Act of the 3d of March last for the better organizing of the army, or the absence of the former quartermaster-general, be an impediment to the regular course of constituting a deputy quartermaster-general to each military district, and division and brigade quartermasters, a substitute must be adopted. Usage, founded on necessity in similar cases, would authorize each commanding general to designate persons provisorily to perform the duties. But he cannot annex the extra compensation, and without this, or the expectation of it, the business would labor. I request your interposition. I deem essential the immediate appointment within my command of a deputy quartermastergeneral, and one division and two brigade quartermasters; and I will observe incidentally, that the same thing must be requisite within the command of General Pinckney. As to generals, the President must decide. With the Western army there is no major-general and one brigadier. Two brig adiers were appointed for the additional army, but no more than one is understood to have accepted. I am anxious that the deficiency should be supplied. The discipline of the troops ought to be accelerated. It must suffer more or less as often as one organ is transferred from its proper situation to another. I entreat a prompt decision on the subject of quartermaster. |