To George Washington from Samuel Huntington, 31 May 1780
From Samuel Huntington
Philadelphia May 31. 1780
Sir,
By the Act of Congress of the 30th Instant herewith enclosed your Excellency will observe, they deem it not expedient at present to make any partial Reduction in the Army of the United States.1
This Resolution passed in Consequence of a report from the Committee at Head Quarters for reducing some of the New York Battallions,2 and a Petition from a Number of the Officers in those Battallions, earnestly intreating they might not be constrained to leave the Service now at the Opening of the Campaign.3
Your Excellencys Despatches of the 27th Instant have been received, and laid before Congress.4 It is painful to reflect upon the Distresses and Difficulties therein mentioned I presume Congress will not be wanting on their part to do every thing within the Compass of their Power to remove them. I have the honour to be with the highest respect your Excelly’s hbble servant
Sam. Huntington President
LS, DLC:GW; LB, DNA:PCC, item 15.
1. The enclosed copy of the congressional resolution dated 30 May is in DLC:GW (see also JCC: 17:472).
2. The Committee at Headquarters, having “consulted the Commander in chief about the propriety of reducing the number of Regiments,” concluded that “no Capital reduction” should be made. It recommended reduction only for the 5th New York Regiment, the vastly understrength 1st Canadian Regiment, and Col. Henry Sherburne’s Additional Continental Regiment (Committee at Headquarters to Huntington, 16 May, in , 15:131–35).
3. Huntington is referring to a memorial from ten officers of the 5th New York Regiment dated 25 May and read in Congress on 30 May (see , 17:472). Writing from Jockey Hollow, N.J., the officers expressed alarm to Congress over a report that their regiment was “shortly to be reduced. … Having served in the regiment under a Variety of difficulties for several Campaigns past, and being just arrived at the beginning of a Campaign, which from every appearance carries the face of a very important and critical one, we should think we were wanting in duty to ourselves Should we remain silent … at so Critical a period. nor can it be supposed that our Country by any provision which they may make for us, can compensate the indignity of ordering us from the field, at the opening of the Campaign. … we are at a loss to know why the Regiment to which we belong should be the Victim, as it is larger than either the second, or fourth, and can at present form a Battalion in the field.” Even if retired with “every emolument to be enjoyed by those who remain in actual service, we cannot conceive why we should be torn away from our men in so important a moment, when the public receive not a single benefit” (DNA:PCC, item 41).
4. See GW to Huntington, 27–28 May.