From Alexander Hamilton to James McHenry, 21 May 1799
To James McHenry
New York, May 21, 1799. “… It is … necessary that ⟨t⟩he officers generally should be possessed of ‘The Rgulations for the Order and Discipline of ⟨t⟩he Troops of the UStates.’1 I mean those which were instituted in our Revolution War. This system will of course obtain ’till there shall be a substitute. I pray that a competent number may be prepared & transmitted ⟨wi⟩thout delay.”
ADf, Hamilton Papers, Library of Congress.
1. H is referring to Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States (Philadelphia: Printed by Styner and Cist, in Second street, 1779), which was written by Baron von Steuben and was repeatedly reprinted. For a list of the editions of this manual from 1781 to 1815, see Joseph R. Riling, Baron von Steuben and His Regulations (Philadelphia, 1966), 27–31.