General Orders, 16 May 1799
General Orders1
New York, May 16, 1799. States: “The following disposition of the two Regiments of Artillerists and Engineers has been adopted. Of the first Regiment, one battalion commanded by Major Rivardi2 is assigned to the Western Army, another Battalion commanded by Major Freeman3 is to garrison the posts in Georgia and South Carolina, another Battalion commanded by Major Ford4 is to garrison the posts in North Carolina Virginia and Maryland, and the remaining Battalion commanded by Major Toussard5 is reserved for the service of the field. Of the Second Regiment, one Battalion commanded by Major Brooks6 is to garrison the posts in Delaware Pennsylvania New Jersey and New York, another Battalion commanded by Major Jackson7 is to garrison the posts in Connecticut Rhode Island Massachusetts and New Hampshire, and the remaining Battalion (one not having yet been raised) commanded by Major Hoops8 is reserved for the service of the field. The definitive arrangement of Officers to the respective companies of the battalion of the first Regiment annexed to the Western Army is referred to Colonel Burbeck.”9 Lists the officers in the other battalions.10
Copy, in the handwriting of Philip Church, Hamilton Papers, Library of Congress.
1. For background to this document, see H to James McHenry, April 26, 1799.
In the Hamilton Papers, Library of Congress, is a list in H’s handwriting entitled “Officers to whom orders are to be addressed.” This list contains the names and location of thirteen lieutenant colonels commandant and eight majors.
2. John J. U. Rivardi. See Rivardi to H, April 3, 1799, note 1.
3. Constant Freeman, a resident of Massachusetts and a veteran of the American Revolution, was a major in the First Regiment of Artillerists and Engineers. Freeman’s headquarters were at Charleston, South Carolina.
4. Mahlon Ford, a resident of New Jersey and a veteran of the American Revolution, re-enlisted in the Army in 1784 and held the rank of lieutenant when the Constitution went into effect. He was a major in the First Regiment of Artillerists and Engineers. Ford’s headquarters were at Norfolk, Virginia, but because of illness he did not report for duty at Norfolk until September, 1799 (Ford to H, September 20, 1799 [listed in the appendix to this volume]).
5. Lewis Tousard, a native of France, had joined the Continental Army as a volunteer in 1777 and in the following year lost an arm in the fighting in Rhode Island. He was a major in the First Regiment of Artillerists and Engineers. Tousard, whose headquarters were at Newport, Rhode Island, had been assigned to that city by Secretary of War James McHenry (Tousard to H, March 10, 1799).
6. Benjamin Brookes, a resident of Maryland, was a major in the Second Regiment of Artillerists and Engineers. Brookes’s headquarters were in New York City, but he was unable to report for duty because of poor health (Brookes to H, November 19, 1799 [listed in the appendix to this volume]).
7. Daniel Jackson, a resident of Massachusetts and a veteran of the American Revolution, was a major in the Second Regiment of Artillerists and Engineers. Jackson’s headquarters were at Fort Castle William in Boston Harbor.
8. Adam Hoops, a resident of New Jersey and a veteran of the American Revolution, was a major in the Second Regiment of Artillerists and Engineers. His headquarters were at Fort Jay on Governors Island in New York Harbor.
9. Henry Burbeck. See Rivardi to H, April 3, 1799, note 3.
10. See the enclosure to H to McHenry, April 26, 1799.