1From Alexander Hamilton to James McHenry, 2 April 1799 (Hamilton Papers)
[ New York, April 2, 1799. On April 4, 1799, McHenry wrote to Hamilton : “I have been honored with your letter of the 2d. Inst.” Letter not found. ]
2From Alexander Hamilton to James McHenry, 3 April 1799 (Hamilton Papers)
New York, April 3, 1799. “… More recruiting Instructions are necessary, there cannot be less than thirteen copies to each Regiment (one for each Company one for each field officer): you only sent ninety in the whole.” Copy, in the handwriting of Philip Church, Hamilton Papers, Library of Congress. See McHenry to H, March 21, 1799, note 10 .
3From Alexander Hamilton to Caleb Swan, 3 April 1799 (Hamilton Papers)
By Special direction of the Commander in Chief and in conformity with the views of the Secretary of War, I am to desire that you will as soon as may be repair to the Seat of the General Government, where when arrived, you will take the orders of the Secretary at War. Previous to your departure, you will constitute a Deputy, who must act as Paymaster to the Western Army, and with whom you will...
4From Alexander Hamilton to George Washington, 3 April 1799 (Hamilton Papers)
Agreeably to your letter of the 25th of March, which with its inclosures have come duly to hand, I have written to the Pay Master General to repair to the Seat of Government. Your letter to Col Hamtranck goes by the same opportunity. The arrangements for beginning to recruit in the States of Connecticut, New York, Jersey, Pensylvania and Delaware, are so mature that it will be very...
5From Alexander Hamilton to Ezra L’Hommedieu, 4 April 1799 (Hamilton Papers)
As the holder, I am to inform you that Mr. David Gelston has refused payment of his promissory note dated the first of August last for Eight thousand Dollars payable in Eight Months to you and indorsed by you, and consequently that I look to you for the payment of the same. Mr. Gelston has however deposited with Mr. Wilkes 4000 Dollars on account of the Note, which with your consent I will...
6From Alexander Hamilton to Timothy Pickering, 4 April 1799 (Hamilton Papers)
I observe by the Boston papers, that some dispatches have been lately found on board a vessel from this port which was carried into Gibralter. The late consul here, Mr. Rosier, has just been with me and suggested that the dispatches are probably from him and allude (but without naming me) to some conversations with me relating to his being received as Consul General some time last Winter....
7From Alexander Hamilton to James McHenry, 8 April 1799 (Hamilton Papers)
New York, April 8, 1799. “… It has been suggested … that an advance of money to the officers on account of their pay is necessary. All of them have to incur considerable expence for their equipment and many of them cannot afford it out of their own funds. I agree in the necessity of the measure. The advance ought not to be less than four Months pay and ought to extend to all the additional...
8From Alexander Hamilton to James McHenry, 8 April 1799 (Hamilton Papers)
Nothing can be more desireable than a well digested plan for connecting the different parts of our Military System, in regard to the procuring and issuing of supplies. I send you the outline of a scheme for that purpose. It is important that this, or a substitute more eligible, should be without delay established. It is particularly essential that the channels through which supplies are to...
9Enclosure: Plan for the Providing and Issuing of Military Supplies, [8 April 1799] (Hamilton Papers)
The business of providing shall constitute one distinct branch of service that of issuing another. The Purveyor shall be charged with the procuring of all supplies except those for which contracts are made directly by the Chiefs of the Treasury or War Departments. The Superintendant of Military Stores shall superintend the issues of all supplies. The Purveyor shall have near him three...
10From Alexander Hamilton to James McHenry, 8 April 1799 (Hamilton Papers)
New York, April 8, 1799. “The Commander in Chief having approved the idea of calling the Pay Master to the Seat of Government, I send you inclosed by his direction an order for him to repair to the seat of Government.…” ADfS , Hamilton Papers, Library of Congress. George Washington to H, March 25, 1799 . H to Caleb Swan, April 3, 1799 .
11From Alexander Hamilton to Oliver Wolcott, Junior, 8 April 1799 (Hamilton Papers)
I send you in confidence the copy of a letter of this date to the Secretary of War and of the plan to which it refers. Consider it well. Make the Secretary of War talk to you about it, without letting him know that I have sent it to you—And urge the establishment of some plan which will effectually organise this important branch of our Military service. The proper course in the interior of the...
12From Alexander Hamilton to James McHenry, 9 April 1799 (Hamilton Papers)
Your letter of the 4th. instant, informs me of the contracts, which have been already made, and of the measures, which are in train for forming others in the states where none at present exist. There is an omission of New Jersey. I request information concerning this State also. You understand me rightly as to the issuing of Cloathing through the Regimental Pay Master. The execution will no...
13From Alexander Hamilton to Richard Hunewell and Nathan Rice, 10 April 1799 (Hamilton Papers)
In consequence of a letter of which the inclosed is a copy, the arrangement, of which a copy is also inclosed, was made by General Brooks. But you will perceive that it is incomplete in respect to the delineation of the subdistricts and the fixing upon a place in each for a rendezvous. This place ought to be chosen with an eye to the accommodation of the recruits, to the convenient procuring...
14From Alexander Hamilton to James McHenry, 10 April 1799 (Hamilton Papers)
As it will require time to form contracts where there are none already existing, I submit that it will be expedient, in such cases, to advance money to some person, to procure them by purchases on account of the Government; Where there is no Agent preferred by you the Regimental Quarter Master Naturally presents himself, as the person to whom the service may be Committed. New Jersey and...
15From Alexander Hamilton to James McHenry, 13 April 1799 (Hamilton Papers)
I have been yesterday & this morning honored with your several favours, three of the 11th and two of the 12th instant. The injunctions respecting the Indian boundary line will be carefully & promptly attended to. Speedy attention will also be paid to the affair of proclaiming Martial law at Detroit. At present I am not aware how the authority for it is found. But this as well as its expediency...
16From Alexander Hamilton to Thomas Lloyd Moore and Aaron Ogden, 13 April 1799 (Hamilton Papers)
New York, April 13, 1799. “Relying that you will lose no time in assigning your Officers to the different subdistricts—I request that you will transmit me a list, showing the name of the principal Officer of each sub-district and the particular sub-district to which he is assigned. You will also … forward a duplicate to the Secy of War.” ADf , Hamilton Papers, Library of Congress. For...
17Circular to the Commandants of Regiments, 15 April 1799 (Hamilton Papers)
It is a question whether it will be most adviseable to distribute the Cloathing for your Regiment among the several sub districts to be furnished to the recruits as they shall be raised or to deposit the whole either at the Regimental Rendezvous or at the place which you shall fix as the rendezvous of each district. As the right decision of this question may depend in part upon circumstances...
18From Alexander Hamilton to James McHenry, 15 April 1799 (Hamilton Papers)
New York, April 15, 1799. “… A letter from General Washington of the 10th. instant has this passage ‘Not an officer in this state has yet received his Commission to the great dissatisfaction of all and relinquishment of many, who would no longer remain in a state of suspense and idleness.’ There is a strong impatience in the officers every where to have their commissions. It seems to me that...
19From Alexander Hamilton to James McHenry, 17 April 1799 (Hamilton Papers)
New York, April 17, 1799. “Your letters of the 15th. and 16th. are duly come to hand.… Tomorrow I shall leave this place for Philadelphia. Several things will best be settled by personal conference which in future will be mutually convenient & will promote the service.” Copy, in the handwriting of Ethan Brown, Hamilton Papers, Library of Congress.
20From Alexander Hamilton to John De Barth Walbach, 17 April 1799 (Hamilton Papers)
New York, April 17, 1799. “My object is to See exemplified the elementary evolutions of the Cavalry according to the Systems of Prussia, France, and Great Britain in order to compare them with each other and Select the best. For this purpose I wished you to instruct in those different evolutions a troop of Volunteer horse.… You will readily understand that I do not wish to extend your...
21From Alexander Hamilton to George Washington, 17 April 1799 (Hamilton Papers)
New York, April 17, 1799. “I have the honor of your letter of the 10th. instant.… The alterations you suggest are adopted.…” LS , in the handwriting of Ethan Brown, Hamilton Papers, Library of Congress; copy, in the handwriting of Ethan Brown, Hamilton Papers, Library of Congress.
22From Alexander Hamilton to Elizabeth Hamilton, 19 April 1799 (Hamilton Papers)
[ Philadelphia, April 19, 1799. On April 20, 1799, Hamilton wrote to Elizabeth Hamilton : “I yesterday informed my beloved of my arrival here.” Letter not found. ]
23From Alexander Hamilton to Elizabeth Hamilton, 20 April 1799 (Hamilton Papers)
I yesterday informed my beloved of my arrival here. A very good night’s rest has put me in as pleasant a state as I can be when absent from my dear and excellent Eliza. But the pressure of my engagements obliges me to confine myself to the information that I am in good health; which I am glad to know is of more importance than any thing else I could say. Kiss all my Children for me. Adieu My...
24From Alexander Hamilton to James McHenry, 20 April 1799 (Hamilton Papers)
Philadelphia, April 20, 1799. “… As I do not conceive the United States to be now at War in the legal import of that term (which I construe to be a state not of partial but of general , hostility) I consider it as beyond my power to approve or execute such sentences as by the Articles of War are referred to the President in time of peace. But while I think it my duty on this ground to transmit...
25Circular to the Commandants of Regiments, 23[–24] April 1799 (Hamilton Papers)
The Secretary of War has assured me that a competent number of drums and fifes for your Regiment shall be forwarded with its Cloathing. And he has authorised me to instruct you to hire temporarily persons in the capacities of drummers and fifers to be employed in the Recruiting service till others can be enlisted, provided that they can be obtained for a compensation not exceeding eight...
26From Alexander Hamilton to James McHenry, 23 April 1799 (Hamilton Papers)
Upon a careful inspection of the Articles of War I entertain doubts, whether I can act upon, by approving or disapproving sentences of Courts Martial referred to me from the Department of War, in cases in which the Courts have been instituted by that Department through organs other than myself. As there is peculiar delicacy in inflicting punishment upon questionable authority, I shall be glad...
27From Alexander Hamilton to Washington Morton, 23 April 1799 (Hamilton Papers)
On revising the proceedings of the General Court Martial received from you, I find that it does not appear by them whether two thirds of the members of the Court concurred on the Conviction of Sergeant Hunt. The articles of War (8th of Chapter Administration of Justice) require that two thirds shall agree in cases where death is inflicted, and I am of opinion that this agreement ought to...
28From Alexander Hamilton to James McHenry, 26 April 1799 (Hamilton Papers)
It being urgent that the Two Regiments of Artillery should be organised into companies and disposed of to the several destinations which you have contemplated it results that a very inconvenient delay would attend the making of that arrangement in concert with General Pinckney as suggested in your late letter. As, likewise, this arrangement is mere matter of organisation, the distribution of...
29Enclosure: Arrangement of the Artillery, [25 April 1799] (Hamilton Papers)
Names Rank Date of Commission Residence Henry Burbeck Lieut. Colonel 7. May 1798 Michilimacinac John J. Ulrich Rivardi Major 26. February 1798 Niagara Moses Porter Captain 4 November 1791 Michilimacinac Alexander Thompson ditto 2. June 1794 Niagara
30From Alexander Hamilton to James McHenry, 26 April 1799 (Hamilton Papers)
I have reflected, as you have desired, on the most proper principles for regulating the relative rank of the field Officers of the twelve additional Regiments. It is always prudent, when no special reasons dictate a deviation, to adopt for cases of this kind a rule which steers clear of comparison of personal merit and avoids the danger of wounding the pride of any of the parties concerned....