To Alexander Hamilton from James McHenry, 12 April 1799
From James McHenry
War department April 12. 1799
Sir,
By referring to a list of appointments to the old regiments of Infantry, sent you some time since,1 you will find the names of the Captains to the respective Companies directed to be added to each of these regiments by the “Act to augment the army of the United States and for other purposes” passed 16. July 1798.2
I also transmitted to you the 8th. of March Ult.3 a list of the names of all the Officers of the Army (old establishment) elapsed according to their respective regiments or Corps, with the dates of their Commissions. These two lists, taken together, will shew you the Officers belonging to each of these regiments.
Lieut Col. Butler,4 who commands on the frontiers of Tenessee, is desirous to be enabled to recruit the two additional companies, and has requested money and instructions. I have informed him that he would receive his instructions from you and shall remit to his paymaster the necessary Money. I request you to give the orders proper upon this occasion, which may be forwarded to this Office for transmission.
It will also be proper that you should, as soon as possible, issue your orders and instructions for filling up the old regiments to their full complement.
I have the honor to be with great respect Your obedient servant
James McHenry
Major General Hamilton
LS, Hamilton Papers, Library of Congress; LS, letterpress copy, James McHenry Papers, Library of Congress.
1. In the margin opposite this sentence H wrote: “I do not find it.” On the other hand, he must have seen the list at some time, for in the Hamilton Papers, Library of Congress, is a document which H endorsed: “List of Promotions in 4 Regiments of Infantry, shewing new Officers of Additional Comps.”
2. Section 1 of “An Act to augment the Army of the United States, and for other purposes” stipulated that “each regiment of infantry … shall consist of … ten captains …” ( 604).
4. A veteran of the American Revolution and a resident of Pennsylvania, Thomas Butler was lieutenant colonel commandant of the Fourth Regiment of Infantry and was stationed at South West Point, Tennessee, a post “… situate upon the south bank of the Clinch, within half a mile of its junction with the Tennessee, forty miles from … [Knoxville]” (, IV, 366).