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aspect on the confidence and harmony which ought carefully to be maintained between the whole.

Fourthly. It is probable that a provision by the United States of the forces necessary to be kept up will be made upon a more systematic and œconomical plan than a provision by the states separately, especially as it will be of importance, as soon as the situation of affairs will permit, to establish founderies, manufactories of arms, powder &c. by means of which the labor of a part of the troops applied to this purpose will furnish the United States with those essential articles on easy terms, and contribute to their own support.

Fifthly. There must be a corps of Artillery and Engineers kept on foot in time of peace, as the officers of this corps require science and long preliminary study and cannot be formed on an emergency; and as the neglect of this institution would always oblige the United States to have recourse to foreigners in time of war for a supply of officers in this essential branch, an inconvenience which it ought to be the object of every nation to avoid. Nor, indeed, is it possible to dispense with the service of such a corps in time of peace, as it will be indispensable not only to have posts on the frontier, but to have fortified harbors for the reception and protection of the fleet of the United States. This corps requiring particular institutions for the instruction and formation of the officers, cannot exist upon separate establishments without a great increase of expence.

Sixthly. It appears from the annexed papers, No. 1 to 4, to be the concurrent opinion of the Commander in Chief, the Secretary at War, the Inspector General and the Chief Engineer, not only that some military establishment is indispensable, but that it ought in all respects to be under the authority of the United States as well for military as political reasons. The plan hereafter submitted on considerations of œconomy is less extensive than proposed by either of them.

The Committee upon these principles submit the following plan: The military peace establishment of the United States, to consist of four regiments of infantry and one of artillery, incorporated in a corps of engineers with the denomination of the Corps of Engineers. Each regiment of infantry to consist of two battalions, each battalion of four companies and each company of sixty-four rank and file, with the following commissioned and non commissioned officers, pay, rations and cloathing, to be however recruited to one hundred and twenty-eight rank and file in time of war, preserving the proportion of corporals to privates.

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ditto. ditto.

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1 Up to this point, a copy of the report, in the writing of Charles Thomson, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 38, folios 335–340.

448

32 | Sergeants, 4 to each company.

64 Corporals, included in rank and file, 8 to each

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16

Drums and Fifes 2 to each company.

6011 Total.

REMARKS.

A. The pay of these three ranks is high in proportion for these reasons: It makes those ranks an object which will prove an inducement to proper characters to enter into the army and it is for the safety and honor of the community to have their army respectably officered. The number of the higher ranks being small, the increase of pay does not add much to the aggregate expence and in its consequences conduces to œconomy; for the hope of attaining to those ranks induces those in inferior grades to be content with small pay, and those being numerous there is a saving upon the whole.

It ought also to be observed that in the pay is included subsistence, that is the value of the extra rations heretofore allowed to officers, which makes the difference not so great between the present and former pay as it at first appears.

B. The pay of the subalterns is considerably lower than formerly. Instead of Ensigns, Second Lieutenants are proposed, because the Ensign is properly speaking the standard bearer, and one standard bearer or Ensign to each battalion is sufficient, who may be taken out of the second Lts. The Regimental staff are also to be taken out of this class, because its pay is the lowest, and because the having served in these offices will better qualify officers for the superior stations. It is necessary to have an extra number of officers for these purposes, because three officers to a company so large as is here proposed are not more than sufficient and none can be taken away without injury to the service; and there is besides an obvious propriety, that whatever number of officers may be deemed necessary to command a company should serve in it, and none be detached for any other purpose. It may be remarked here that the companies are large, which will have two good effects; it will promote œconomy by having a smaller proportion of officers to a given number of men, and it will render their commands more respectable.

C. It is to be desired that each battalion should be as complete in itself as possible, in case of one being detached from the other; and as the battalions are large, one of each of these inferior staff to a battalion will find full employment.

D. The proportion of Corporals will be as one to seven; this will be found beneficial in several ways-the number of corporals (who

from the mere circumstance of being distinguished from the others having a better opinion of themselves, will of course be better soldiers, and being mixed with the others will render the whole better. Every seven men also being put constantly under the direction of a particular Corporal to be answerable for the good behavior of his squad will have a happy influence on discipline and good order.

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