GENERAL HOSPITAL.

A general hospital for the reception of the invalids of the Army and Navy will be necessary to consist for the present of the following persons:

Pay per month.
Dollars.

1 Director to have at the same time the Superin-
tendence of the Regimental Hospitals.

80

50

25

50

15

8

4 Nurses..

each....

5

To be entitled to draw each a ration of provisions per day, but to no other allowance.

The invalids to receive one dollar per month, and the provisions and cloathing of a common soldier during life.

The total expence of this establishment if-com-
plete as reduced in peace, would amount to
about..

Not quite
exact but Deduct the product of the manufactories which
very near is estimated at.
the truth.

359, 530

531, 950

131, 950

Balance an annual charge upon the United) $227, 580
States.
S 400,000

G Should Congress think this expence too considerable for the immediate circumstances of the United States, the following methods may be taken to diminish it, till they are more in a condition to bear it.

The companies of infantry may for the present-be-recruited-to only 64 rank and file each.

The regiment of dragoons and the corps of artificers may be suspended.

It would be advisable to determine on the establishment generally and suspend the execution of these parts. Cavalry is an arm-which it would be inexpedient to negleet; as in case of war it would always be of great importance in the Southern States, and the knowledge of its principles and uses ought to be preserved. It will be best to appoint the commissioned officers by which many valuable officers will be retained; and as their half pay will be absorbed in their full pay the additional expence will be inconsiderable.

It will also be proper to engage at once the Founders. armourers, and a few others of the corps of artificers.

The deductions of expences by these methods may be estimated at 191,950 which taken out of the total expence of the proposed establishment will leave a ballance of annual expence of 340,000.

The whole establishment ought on principles of economy to be preferred as soon as it can be carried into execution for the value of the manufactures will greatly exceed the difference of expence. The Committee are of opinion that this expence is unavoidable necessary and that the only question is whether it shall be borne by the United States, or by particular states; in which last case it is probable it will be increased for want of general system. The considerations already stated leave no doubt with the Committee in what manner the question ought to be decided.

MILITIA.

The Committee are also of opinion that, in considering the means of national defence, Congress ought not to overlook that of a well regulated militia; that as the keeping up such a militia and proper arsenals and magazines by each State is made a part of the Confederation, the attention of Congress to this object becomes a constitutional duty; that as great advantages would result from uniformity in this article in every State, and from the militia establishment being as similar as the nature of the case will admit to that of the Continental forces, it will be proper for Congress to adopt and recommend a plan for this purpose.

The Committee submit the following outlines of such a plan which if thought necessary may be digested and improved.

All the free male inhabitants in each state from 20 to fifty, except such as the laws of the State shall exempt, to be divided into two general classes; one class to consist of married and the other class of single men.

Each class to be formed into corps of Infantry and Dragoons, organized in the same manner as proposed for the regular troops.

Those who are willing to be at the expence of equipping themselves for Dragoon service to be permitted to enter into that corps, the residue to be formed into Infantry; this will consult the convenience and inclinations of different classes of citizens.

Each officer of the Dragoons to provide himself with a horse, saddle &c. pistols and sabre, and each non-commissioned officer and private with the preceding articles and these in addition, a carbine

and cartouch box, with twelve rounds of powder and ball for his carbine, and six for each pistol.

Each officer of the Infantry to have a sword, and each non-commissioned officer and private, a musket, bayonet and cartouch box, with twelve rounds of powder and ball.

The corps of single men to be obliged to assemble for inspection and exercise once in two months by companies, and once in six four months regimentally; to be subject to proper penalties in case of delinquency.

The corps of married men, to be obliged to assemble for the same purpose, and subject to like penalties once in three months by companies, and once in six months regimentally.

When the State itself is invaded, the corps of either class indifferently to be obliged to take the field for its defence, and to remain in service one year, unless sooner relieved by special order.

When another State is attacked, and it is necessary to march to its succour, one half of all the corps of single men shall be obliged to take their tour of duty first and to serve for the same period, to be succeeded for a like period, by one half of all the Corps of married men; and then alternately.

In addition to these two classes there shall be a third under a particular denomination as fencibles, fusileers, train bands or whatever else may be thought proper, with the same organization as the infantry of the other classes, but composed as follows:

Of all such of either of the two other classes inhabiting cities or incorporated towns as will voluntarily engage to serve for the term of eight years, provided they shall not exceed the proportion of one to fifty of all the enrolled militia of the State, and provided that if a war breaks out, they shall be obliged to serve three years after they take the field and to march wherever the service may require.

The conditions on the part of the public to be these: each non commissioned officer and soldier to be furnished with a musket bayonet and cartouch box, and every two years with a suit of uniform, consisting of a coat jacket, and breeches of cloth; the arms and accoutrements to become his property at the end of his time of service.

These corps to be obliged to assemble regimentally once a month for exercise and inspection, with a power in the officer commanding each company to assemble his company once in the interval of each regimental assembling, the better to perfect them in the exercise; the non-commissioned officers and privates, to be entitled to 1/12 of a dollar for each day of assembling.

The officers of this corps to have equality of rank with the officers of the army, and to take precedency of the officers of the militia, that is every officer, of the train bands, shall command every officer of the two other classes of equal grade, without regard to date of commission. This preference will induce proper persons to accept commissions in the train bands, and be at the extra trouble which that service will require.

Any of the militia when in service to be entitled to the same emoluments as the regular troops or in lieu of cloathing to the two first classes, to the addition of one dollar per month of pay.

The Committee are of opinion, that with a view to either of the proposed establishments, it will be proper to direct the Commander in Chief to appoint a Board of officers, the Inspector General, Commandant of Artillery and Chief Engineer being members, to revise the regulations for the army of the United States, and to digest a general ordinance for the service of all the troops of the United States, and another for the service of the militia, and to transmit both with his observations to Congress for their consideration, the latter when approved to be recommended to the several states.

The expence of the Militia establishment will amount to about 60,000 dollars per annum, a sum which may be nearly defrayed out of the militia fines if properly managed.

The present population will afford about 8000 of the 3a Class.

REMARKS.

A. Corps of Engineers. The Artillery and Engineers are united in one corps from the great analogy in the service which when the corps are separated gives rise to frequent disputes about the respective duties of each, very injurious to the service; there is a great resemblance in the preliminary studies and qualifications requisite to form the officers of both, and the union is conducive to economy. There is an extra number to serve as engineers.

B. The pay of this corps is generally higher than of any other, because there is much preparatory study and labour to qualify an officer, and promotion is much less rapid.

C. There are a great number of officers in proportion to the men; because Artillery are chiefly in detachments and are of so much consequence in military operations, that the pieces ought rarely to be trusted to non commissioned officers.

D. These (4) 5 professors are indispensable for the instruction of the officers; the pay is considerable to induce able men to engage.

E. There are fewer non commissioned staff than in the Infantry, because when the corps is united fewer will answer, and when divided, it is so much divided, that Serjeants must do their duties on the detachments.

F. The allowance of cloathing is less than it has heretofore been, a suit of uniform being allowed only once in two years, but this is as much as is done in the European Armies in general and is sufficient.

G. The expence may be still farther diminished by raising only two Regiments and those full, which will give the same number of men as this reduction of the 4; but the United States will by this means have too small a number of officers; and should a war take place, they will be entirely at a loss to officer properly the additional forces.

By this plan and by suspending altogether-the regiment of herse the expence would be yearly only about 300,000-Dollars.

It is to be remarked that in the calculation of expence in every case, there ought to be a deduction of the half pay of the officers retained in service, which ought to be considered as lowering the expence of the Military establishment, during the lives of the present set of officers, which upon an average may be estimated at twenty five years.

This makes the difference between the expence of 4 Regiments of officers, or of two much less considerable than it appears at first sight, and is an additional reason for that consideration not being put in competition with the national utility of keeping them in service.1

Ordered, That the same be referred to a committee of the whole.

Congress was then resolved into a committee of the whole: Mr. [Daniel] Carroll was elected to the chair.

The President resumed the chair, and Mr. [Daniel] Carroll reported, that the committee have taken into consideration the subject referred to them, and had come to a resolution

1 This report, in the writing of Alexander Hamilton, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 38, folios 413-442. According to the record in Committee Book No. 186, the committee on the peace arrangements was appointed June 12 and reported June 18. A letter of June 7, from General Washington, with a memoir of Du Portail on fortifications necessary for the United States, was referred to the same committee. A draft of Washington's letter is in the Washington Papers, Library of Congress.