being followed by a want of confidence in themselves, when opposed to troops regularly trained, disciplined, and appointed, superior in Knowledge, and superior in arms, make them timid, and ready to fly from their own shadows. Besides, the sudden change in their manner of living, particularly in their lodging, brings on sickness in many, impatience in all, and such an unconquerable desire of returning to their respective homes, that it not only produces shameful and scandalous desertions among themselves, but infuses the like spirit in others. Again, men accustomed to unbounded freedom and no control, cannot brook the restraint which is indispensably necessary to the good order and government of an army, without which, licentiousness and every kind of disorder triumphantly reign. To bring men to a proper degree of subordination, is not the work of a day, a month, or a year; and, unl appily for us and the cause we are engaged in, the little discipline I have been labouring to establish in the army under my immediate command, is in a manner done away, by having such a mixture of troops as have been called together within these few months.

"Relaxed and unfit as our rules and regulations of war are for the government of an army, the militia (those properly so called, for of these we have two sorts, the six months' men, and those sent in as a temporary aid,) do not think themselves sub

ect to them, and therefore take liberties which the soldier is punished for. This creates jealousy, jealousy begets dissatisfaction, and these by degrees ripen into mutiny, keeping the whole army in a confused and disordered state, rendering the time. of those who wish to see regularity and good order prevail, more unhappy than words can describe; besides this, such repeated changes take place, that all arrangement is set at nought, and the constant fluctuation of things deranges every plan as fast as it is adopted.

"These, Sir, Congress may be assured, are but a small part of the inconveniences which might be enumerated, and attributed to militia; but there is one that merits particular attention, and that is the expense. Certain I am, that it would be cheaper to keep fifty or a hundred thousand men in con-, stant pay, than to depend upon half the number, and supply the other half occasionally by militia. The time the latter is in pay, before and after they are in camp; assembling and marching; the waste of ammunition; the consumption of stores, which, in spite of every resolution and requisition of Congress, they must be furnished with, or sent home; added to other incidental expenses, consequent upon their coming and conduct in camp; surpass every idea, and destroy every kind of regularity and economy which could establish among fixed and settled troops; and will, in my opinion,

you

prove, if the scheme is adhered to, the ruin of our

cause.

"The jealousies of a standing army, and the evils to be apprehended from one, are remote, and, in my judgment, situated and circumstanced as we are, not at all to be dreaded; but the consequence of wanting one, according to my ideas, founded upon the present view of things, is certain and inevitable ruin; for, if I was called upon to declare upon oath, whether the militia have been most serviceable or hurtful, upon the whole, I should subscribe to the latter. I do not mean by this, however, to arraign the conduct of Congress; in so doing, I should equally condemn my own measures, if not my judgment: but experience, which is the best criterion to work by, so fully, clearly, and decisively, reprobates the practice of trusting to militia, that no man, who regards order, regularity, and economy, or who has any regard for his own honour, character, or peace of mind, will risk them upon militia."

Congress had already determined, that the men, enlisted in future, should be engaged during the war; and the resolution to that effect was received soon after the dispatch of this letter: but sufficient inducements to secure the execution of their resolutions, had not, in the opinion of the General, been held forth to either officers or soldiers: and on this subject he again thus addressed them:

"Before

"Before I knew of the late resolutions of Congress, which you did me the honour to enclose in your letter of the twenty-fourth, and before I was favoured with the visit of your committee, I took the liberty of giving you my sentiments on several points which seemed to be of importance.

"I have no doubt but that the committee will make such report of the state and condition of the army, as will induce Congress to believe, that nothing but the most vigorous exertions can put matters upon such a footing as to give this continent a fair prospect of success. Give me leave to say, Sir, (I say it with due deference and respect, and my knowledge of the facts, added to the importance of the cause, and the stake I hold in it, must justify the freedom,) that your affairs are in a more unpromising way than you seem to apprehend.

"Your army, as mentioned in my last, is upon the eve of its political dissolution. True it is, you have voted a larger one in lieu of it; but the season is late; and there is a material difference between voting battalions and raising men. In the latter

there are more difficulties than Congress seem aware of; which makes it my duty (as I have been informed of the prevailing sentiments of this army) to inform them, that, unless the pay of the officers, especially that of the field-officers, be raised, the chief part of those that are worth retaining will leave the service at the expiration of the present term; as the soldiers

VOL. II.

soldiers will also, if some greater encouragement is not offered them, than twenty dollars and one hun dred acres of land.

"Nothing less, in my opinion, than a suit of clothes, annually given to each non-commissioned officer and soldier, in addition to the pay and bounty, will avail; and I question whether that will do, as the enemy, from the information of one John Marsh, who, with six others, was taken by our guards, are giving ten pounds bounty for recruits, and have got a battalion under Major Rodgers, nearly completed, upon Long Island.

"Nor will less pay, according to my judgment, than I have taken the liberty of mentioning in the enclosed estimate, retain such officers as we could wish to have continued; the difference per month, iu each battalion, would amount to better than one hundred pounds. To this may be added the pay of the staff-officers; for, it is presumable, they will also require an augmentation; but, being few in number, the sum will not be greatly increased by them, and, consequently, is a matter of no great moment: but it is a matter of no small importance to make the several offices desirable. When the pay and establishment of an officer once become objects of interested attention, the sloth, negligence, and even disobedience of orders, which at this time but too generally prevail, will be purged off. But, while the service is viewed with indifference; while the officer conceives

that