it was deemed necessary to retain at a valuation for the new army those belonging to men who would not re-enlist. The government being entirely unprovided with blankets, two dollars were offered to every person who would bring with him an article so necessary in a winter campaign; and as no regimentals had been procured for the troops, various coloured clothes were purchased, to be delivered to them, and the price deducted from their pay. But no regulation was more extraordinary, or evinced more strongly the public necessity, than that which required the soldiers to find their own arms, or to pay six shillings for the use of arms furnished by the Congress for the campaign.

So soon as the arrangements had been made by the committee, and before they had been confirmed by the approbation of Congress, General Washington proceeded to take the preparatory steps towards carrying them into operation. In his general orders, he required that all officers, who intended to decline the further service of their country, and to retire from the army at the expiration of the terms for which they were at present engaged, should signify their intentions in writing to their respective colonels, to be communicated to the General by the officers commanding brigades. "Those brave men and true patriots, who resolved to continue to serve and -. defend

defend their brethren, privileges, and property," were also requested to signify their intentions in the same manner, and to consider themselves engaged to the last day of December, 1776, unless sooner discharged by Congress.

But the high spirit and enthusiastic ardour which had brought such numbers into the field after the battle of Lexington, was already beginning to dissipate; and all the alacrity for the service, which had been expected, was not displayed. Many were unwilling to continue in it; and others annexed special conditions to their further engagement. Very many insisted on stipulating for leave to visit their families at the expiration of their present term of service; and others suspending all decision, neither gave in their names to retire from the army nor to continue in it.

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The nature of the case not admitting delay, the General repeated his orders, with the addition, that the declaration must be explicit and not conditional. "The times," he added, "and the importance of the great cause we are engaged in, allow no room for hesitation and delay. When life, liberty, and property are at stake; when our country is in danger of being a melancholy scene of bloodshed and desolation; when our towns are laid in ashes, and innocent women and children driven

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driven from their peaceful habitations, exposed to the rigour of an inclement season, to depend, per-. haps, on the hand of charity for support; when calamities like these are staring us in the face, and a brutal, savage enemy (more so than was ever yet found in a civilized nation) are threatening us and every thing we hold dear, with destruction from. foreign troops, it little becomes the character of a soldier to shrink from danger, and condition for new terms. It is the General's intention to indulge both officers and soldiers who compose the new army, with furloughs for a reasonable time; but this must be done in such a manner as not to injure the service, or weaken the army too much at once." In this state of things, several officers, supposing that commissions and rank might depend on recruiting men, began, without perroission, ta enlist soldiers to serve particularly under them. This practice it was necessary to stop. All farther enlistments, under particular officers, were forbidden, till directions to that effect should be given. "Commissions in the army," say the

orders, "are not intended for those who can raise the most men, but for such gentlemen who are most likely to deserve them. The General would

not have it even supposed, nor our enemies encouraged to believe, that there is a man in this army (except a few under particular circumstances)

who

who will require to be twice asked to do what his honour, his personal liberty, the welfare of his country, and the safety of his family, so loudly demand of him. When motives powerful as these conspire to call men into service, and when that service is rewarded with higher pay than private soldiers ever yet received in any former war, the General cannot, nor will not, until convinced to the contrary, harbour so despicable an opinion of their understanding, and their zeal for the cause, as to believe they will desert it."

The troops were also assured, that clothes, on reasonable terms, were prepared "for those brave soldiers who intended to continue in the service another year."

Notwithstanding these exhortations, a disinclination to make further engagements, especially without knowing the officers by whom they were to be commanded, continued to be manifested by the privates.

At length, with much labour, the officers were arranged; immediately after which recruiting orders were issued. After stating the terms of enlistment, and promising leave of absence for a reasonable time during the winter, which, however inconvenient, was an indulgence found to be indispensable, the General directed the officers, "to be careful not to enlist any person suspected of being unfriendly to the liberties of America, or any

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abandoned vagabonds, to whom all causes and countries are equal, and alike indifferent. The rights of mankind and the freedom of America would have numbers sufficient to support them, without resorting to such wretched assistance. Let those who wish to put shackles upon freemen, fill their ranks with, and place their confidence in, such miscreants."

But the sufferings of the army for fuel*, clothes, and provisions, had been great; and the new regi ments did not fill with that rapidity which had been expected. Finding this, one officer from each company was employed to recruit in the country; but the progress made was not such as the public exigencies demanded. The army was dissolying by the expiration of the time for which it had been enlisted, and men in sufficient num

* Mr. Gordon thus states the dissatisfaction with the Govern ment of Massachussetts, which was expressed on this occasion by General Lee, who attributed the sufferings of the army to their parsimony. The assembly was far from giving satisfaction to General Lee, who, about the middle of November, pronounced them "benumbed in a fixed state of torpidness, without the symptoms of animation, unless the apprehensions of rendering themselves unpopular among their particular constituents by an act of vigour for the public service, deserve the name of animation. He charged them with inconsistent and timid conduct, and ascribed it to their torpor, narrow politics, or call it what you will, that the army had been reduced to very great distress."

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