To George Washington from Major General William Heath, 23 October 1779
From Major General William Heath
Mandevilles [Dutchess County, N.Y.]
Octr 23rd 1779
Dear General
I am Sorry at any time to give your Excellency interruption, but an Uneasiness among the Officers of the Massachusetts Line on account of their not receiving their Commissions Since the Arrangment every hour encreasing Constra[i]ns me to do it at this Time1 by the arrangment many Officers are promoted to the rank of Field and Other Commissions and have ever Since and now Daily are Siting on Courts Martial and detached on Command. Field Officers Under Captains and Captains under Subalterns of other Lines who have received Commissions, If the Commissions Cannot be Obtained, they wish if agreable to your Excellency, that the arrangment which they are informed has been approved by Congress2 may be Ordered by your Excellency to take place and that the different Officers may do Duty Conformably, untill the Commissions arrive, of this they Say there are many presidents where Officers are Ordered to do Duty to be Obey’d & respect’d for a time, or untill further orders.3
I have the pleasure to acquaint your Excellency that the reinlistment of the Troops in the Massachusetts Line is very Successfull, a Doubt has arisen among the officers what Sum they are warranted to give each man who reinlists as a Continental Bounty. whether One or Two Hundred Dollars, They say that the new recruits who enlist for the war receive 200 Dollars, and if those who are veterans have but half that Sum, it will be very discourageing.4 I have the honor to be with the greatest respect your Excellencys most Obedient Servt
W. Heath
ADfS, MHi: Heath Papers.
1. Contentiousness had plagued a final arrangement of Massachusetts officers (see Joseph Pettingill to GW, 12 June; Officers of the Massachusetts Line to GW, 13 June; Noah M. Littlefield to GW, 8 July; John Brooks to GW, 13 July; General Orders, 23 July, and 1 and 2 Aug.; Thomas Cogswell to GW, 24 July; GW to Heath and a Board of General Officers, 3 Aug.; the first letter from GW to John Jay, 5 Aug.; and Jay to GW, 15 Sept.; see also 15:1033). For delays in obtaining commissions for the Massachusetts officers following the arrangement, see GW to the Board of War, 11 Sept. and 12 October.
2. Congress had approved the arrangement of the Massachusetts officers on 6 Sept. after receiving a report from the Board of War, dated 4 Sept., that argued “if the present arrangement be set aside and the making a new one referred to the State, the whole affair must be again involved in confusion, and occasion infinite delays and discontents” ( 15:1033).
3. For continued and ultimately successful efforts to obtain commissions for the Massachusetts officers, see GW to Heath, 24 Oct. (first letter) and 20 Nov.; GW to John Nixon, 25 Oct.; GW to the Board of War, 2 Nov.; Board of War to GW, 8 Nov.; and Benjamin Stoddert to GW, 12 November.
4. When meeting on 23 Jan., Congress had approved a bounty “not to exceed in any case 200 dollars” for each soldier who re-enlisted for the war and for each new recruit who committed for the same term ( 13:108; see also 13:298–99, and GW’s first letter to Heath of 24 Oct.).
Heath later observed: “The State of Massachusetts appeared to be determined to fill up their regiments, and offered 300 dollars bounty to those who would enlist, in addition to the Continental bounty, which was 200 dollars, making the whole bounty 500 dollars” ( 235).