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arrogance, or the smallest deviation from truth, it may 1778 be faid, that no hiftory now extant, can furnifh an instance of an army's fuffering fuch uncommon hardships as ours has done, and bearing them with the fame patience and fortitude. To fee men without clothes to cover their nakedness, without blankets to lie on, without fhoes, (fo that their marches might be traced by the blood from their feet) and almost as often without provision as with, marching through froft and fnow, and at Christmas taking up their winter quarters within a day's march of the enemy, without a house or hut to cover them, till they could be built, and fubmitting to it without a murmur, is a mark of patience and obedience, which, in my opinion, can scarce be paralleled." Within a week after, congress refolved that there fhould be a provision of half pay for the life of the officers; but then they further refolved, "That nothing contained in the foregoing refolution fhall be conftrued to extend to prevent the United States from redeeming, at any time, the half pay of fuch officers as they judge proper, by paying them a fum equal to fix years half pay." But before these refolves were paffed, between two and three hundred officers had refigned their commiffions, reckoning from last August.

General Washington being defirous of effecting an exchange of prisoners, wrote to congrefs, on the 7th of March" It may be thought contrary to our intereft to go into an exchange, as the enemy would derive more immediate advantage from it than we should: but on principles of genuine extenfive policy, independent of the confideration of compaffion and justice, we are under an obligation not to elude it. An event of this kind

1778. is the general wish of the country. I know it to be the wish of the army, and it must be the ardent wish of the unhappy fufferers themselves. Should the exchangé be deferred, till the terms of the last resolve of congrefs on the fubject are fulfilled, it will be difficult to prevent our being generally accufed with a breach of good faith. Speculative minds may confider all our profeffions as mere profeffions, or at beft, that intereft and policy are to be the only arbiters of their validity. I cannot doubt that congrefs, in preservation of the public faith and my perfonal honor, will remove all impediments, that now oppose themselves to my engagements, and will authorize me, through commiffioners, to fettle as extensive and competent a cartel as may appear advantageous and neceffary, any refolutions heretofore to the contrary notwithstanding." Congrefs in a few days removed the impediment, by refolving that he might proceed in the exchange of prifoners without waiting for the fettlement and the discharge of their accounts: but no cartel has been agreed upon, Commiffioners were appointed on both fides, and held feveral meetings, without effecting the business. This led congrefs to refolve, on the 21st of April-" That congrefs are fincerely defirous of fettling a cartel for the exchange of prisoners, on principles of juftice, humanity, and mutual advantage, and agreeable to the customary rules and practice of war among civilized nations, and that they lament the obftacles raised by gen. Howe and his commiffioners during the negotiations held for this desirable purpose." However, partial exchanges of individuals have taken place, and will be continued. When major Otho Williams was exchanged, he fent a letter to American head quar

ters, relating how the prisoners had been treated at New 1778. York, and then faid-" Before I conclude, permit me to acknowledge to you and the world, that I am much. obliged to Daniel Chamier efq; auditor general, for lending me money; to doctor Richard Huddlefton of the seventh British regiment, for feveral offices of kindness to myself and other prisoners, and that I was treated in a very courteous genteel manner by major Ackland of the twentieth, for whom I was exchanged."

In January, congress concluded upon a winter's irruption into Canada, and appointed the marquis de la Fayette, gens. Conway and Stark to conduct it. The two former repaired to Albany, and were afterward joined by baron de Kalb. But in a while, the expedition was dropt, for want of men, money, clothing, fleighs, provifions and forage: and on the 22d of April, Conway requested leave to refign his commiffion, which was granted. Baron de Steuben, who arrived the beginning of December, with fundry letters of recommendation to congrefs, and was defired by them to repair to gen Washington's quarters, foon fucceeded him as infpector general. The fame day Conway's refignation was accepted, on the 28th of April, Washington wrote to: congrefs" I can be no longer filent as to the merits of baron de Steuben. I confider him as an acquifition to the fervice, and recommend him to the attention of.. congrefs." May the 5th, it was refolved, "That congrefs approve gen. Washington's plan for the inftitution of a well organized inspectorship: That baron Steuben be appointed to the office of infpector general, with the rank and pay of major general; his pay to commence from the time he joined the army and entered into the

1778. fervice of the United States: That there be two ranks of infpectors, under the direction of the infpector general, the firft to fuperintend two or more brigades, and the other to be charged with the inspection of one brigade: That gen. Washington be authorized to appoint fuch perfons to be infpectors and brigade inspectors for the main army, as he fhall think best qualified to execute the feveral duties of thofe offices." The commander in chief and the baron being in perfect unifon, the discipline of the army has been mightily improved, and the exercife of the battalions has become uniform. In or→ der to eftablifh thefe points, the officers were formed into a body, and when completely exercised and instructed, were put upon doing the like by their men. When the baron manoeuvred the battalions, the brigades, the divifions, of the army, he explained matters to the rerefpective commanding officers, and taught them to understand the meaning and intention of the various movements. The office of infpector general was one of the regulations in view for the reform of the army, fome time before Conway's appointment: and the foreign officers, who had no commiffions, and no commands, and who were of ability, were to have been recommended, and particularly baron D'Arendt, with whom the idea originated.

The fufferings of the army for want of provifion, led the congrefs to think at length of changing the commiffary general; they therefore directed the prefident to write to col. Jeremiah Wadfworth of Connecticut, requefting his attendance on matters of confequence. When informed of his arrival, they appointed a committee of four to confer with him, and inquire whether

he would undertake the office of commiffary general of 1778 purchases. The colonel was not a stranger to the nature of the business, nor the way in which it was neceffary to conduct it, for the fervice of the army. He confidered the matter thoroughly; laid his own plan; and informed the committee upon what terms he would undertake the conducting of that department: from these he would not recede. He would not be tied up by any regulating acts, but would be left at liberty to purchase as he was able. After repeated conferences, " Congrefs proceeded to the election of a commissary general of purchases, and the ballots being taken, Jeremiah Wadsworth efq; was unanimoufly elected," on the 9th of April. In five days more, upon the refumption of the confideration of the report of the committee appointed to confer with him, they refolved, That the commiffary general of purchases have full power to ap point and remove every officer in his department;" which was followed by various other refolutions, and closed with one declaring, "That all former regulations of congrefs, relative to the department of the commiffary general of purchases, which interfere with the foregoing refolutions, be repealed." Thus they abandoned that plan, which induced their firft commiffary general, col. Jofeph Trumbull, to quit the department; and in its operation, had nearly destroyed their army,

Congress began the year with authorizing a committee to take every neceffary measure for the immediate relief of the fick foldiers, and to report whatever alteration in the medical department might be requifite. They foon after recommended it to the clergy of all denominations in the middle diftrict, to folicit charitable donations of

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