31From George Washington to James McHenry, 13 August 1798 (Washington Papers)
The Messenger that carried my letters of the 10th to the Post Office brought me your favour of the 6th—and yesterday I received that of the 8th. It gave me sincere pleasure to find by the latter, that you had suggested to the President, prompt & decisive measures for Organizing and recruiting the twelve Regiments of Infantry, &ca; and the propriety also of requiring the Services of the...
32From George Washington to James McHenry, 20 August 1798 (Washington Papers)
I was very glad to find by your letter of the 13th instant that you had got well enough to resume your seat in the Office. On this circumstance I sincerely congratulate you. You must know as much of Mr Hoops as I do, and have it more in your power to obtain correct information of his character & fitness for the place that is suggested; but from respect to Mr Morris, and in justice to Mr Hoops,...
33From George Washington to James McHenry, 3 September 1798 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 25th Ulto has been duly received. The list of applicants from the Southern States, and two large bundles of letters—from these I presume—came at the sametime, & in good order. My last to you was dated the 20th of August; two days previous to which I had been siezed with a fever which I endeavoured to shake off by pursuing my usual rides & occupations, but it continued to...
34From George Washington to James McHenry, 14 September 1798 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 7th instt from Trenton is before me; and no plan yet decided on that I can discover, for recruiting the augmented force, or even for appointing the Officers therefor. It is for the Executive to account for this delay. Sufficient it is for me to regret, and I do regret it, sorely; because that spirit & enthusiasm which was inspired by the Dispatches from our Envoys, that...
35From George Washington to James McHenry, 16 September 1798 (Washington Papers)
Private & confidential My dear Sir, Mount Vernon 16th Sepr 1798. Your confidential letter—dated Trenton the 10th Instant, with its enclosures, have been duly received. The latter are returned. The contents of them have filled my mind with much disquietude & embarrassment; but it is impossible for me to make any move, in consequence, at this time, from the want of Official ground; without...
36From George Washington to James McHenry, 26 September 1798 (Washington Papers)
Private My dear Sir, Mount Vernon 26th Sepr 1798. Your confidential letter of the 21st instant is before me; but the long letter which is promised therein, has not got to hand. Probably the messenger who carries this, and other letters to the Post Office this afternoon, may return with it. As you have given extracts of my letter of the 16th to the President, & informed him, that you thought it...
37From George Washington to James McHenry, 30 September 1798 (Washington Papers)
I have lately received information, which, in my opinion, merits attention. It is that the brawlers against Governmental measures in some of the most discontented parts of this state, have, all of a sudden, become silent; and, it is added, are very desirous of obtaining Commissions in the Army, about to be raised. This information did not fail to leave an impression upon my mind at the time I...
38From George Washington to James McHenry, 1 October 1798 (Washington Papers)
Private My dear Sir, Mount Vernon 1st Octr 1798 Your confidential letter of the 19th ulto did not reach Alexandria until the 28th. I thank you for the statement, and lengthy details which it contains. The President may have reasons which will justify the inexecution of the law, for augmenting the force of the United States. With my lights, I can discover none: but, if the force is required at...
39From George Washington to James McHenry, 1 October 1798 (Washington Papers)
You will be at no loss to perceive, from my private letter to you of the 16th ulto, extracts from which you sent to the President of the United States; and from my representation to him, dated the 25th following, the rough draught of wch was enclosed in my last, what my determination is, if he perseveres in his Resolution to change the order of the Major Generals, and to disregard the...
40From George Washington to James McHenry, 15 October 1798 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 2d, and three of the 5th instant, came duly to hand. Those of the latter date, were received late in the evening preceeding my visit to the Federal City, where I was detained several days on business; and is the cause of their remaining unacknowledged so long. In the former, you ask if I am acquainted with characters, who have talents and acquirements to fit them for the...
41Enclosure: Troop Quotas, 15 October 1798 (Washington Papers)
By the Act “To augment the Army of the United States, & for other purposes.” Twelve Regiments of Infantry, and six Troops of Light Dragoons, are to be added to the present force—By the Establishment of them, the first will consist of 7680 Rank & File, and the 2d of 354. If four Regiments of the former, and all the latter, are to be raised in the States South of the Potomack, the quota of each...
42From George Washington to James McHenry, 21 October 1798 (Washington Papers)
Enclosed is a copy of the Presidents letter to me, which I request may be, with this letter, burnt as soon as they are read, & no more said respecting the contents than might be proper for him to hear repeated again; Otherwise, a knowledge that the contents of my letters to, and from him, are in possession of others, may induce him to believe, in good earnest, that intriegues are carrying on,...
43From George Washington to James McHenry, 21 October 1798 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 16th instt came by the last Mail. The enclosures are well calculated to effect their objects. But the explicit declaration contained in the one to General Knox, added to his knowledge of my sentiments on the subject of relative Rank, leaves little hope, in my mind, that he will obey your summons, and render his aid in the manner required of him. I hope no difficulty will...
44From George Washington to James McHenry, 23 October 1798 (Washington Papers)
It gave me very sincere pleasure to find by your letter of the 17th —recd last night—that Genl Pinckney accepts his appointment in the Army of the Unite[d] States. If it would not be too inconvenient for him to remain at the Seat of Government until the 10th of next month (the ulterior day, allotted for the assembling of the Majors General at Trenton or Philadelphia) and you would advise me...
45From George Washington to James McHenry, 26 October 1798 (Washington Papers)
The enclosures transmitted in your letter of the 20th instant are retd. I derived great pleasure from General Pinkneys declaration to General Hamilton; and wish you to inform him, that I feel happy in the thought of having him as a Coadjutor, if our disputes with France are to be decided by the Sword. Let me hear from you as soon as possible on the subject of my last letters to you—dated the...
46From George Washington to James McHenry, 4 November 1798 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 30th ultimo, with it’s enclosures, has been duly received. And, agreeably to the arrangements made for the meeting of the General Officers on or about the 10th inst., I intend setting out tomorrow for Trenton; but, as I shall have some business in the Federal City which may detain me for a short time, and shall travel with my own Horses, which must necessarily be slower than...
47From George Washington to James McHenry, 13 November 1798 (Washington Papers)
I observe by the concluding paragraph of your letter of the 10th instant that you contemplate conferences between the Secretaries of State and of the Treasury and myself, for the purpose of obtaining auxiliary information from their departments—Several of the questions which you state seem indeed to require such information. But on reflection, it has occurred to me as most regular, that you...
48From George Washington to James McHenry, 14 November 1798 (Washington Papers)
In order to form an opinion on the query contained in your letter of the 10th instant, whether it will be best to furnish Rations for the Troops by Contracts, or by purchasing and issuing Commissaries, it will be necessary that I should know the prices of Rations, now paid by Contract, at the several places where Troops are sta⟨tione⟩d. You will therefore be pleased to add this to the...
49From George Washington to James McHenry, 13 December 1798 (Washington Papers)
Private Dear Sir, Philadelphia 13th Decr 1798 I am really ashamed to offer the letters &ca herewith sent, with so many erazures &ca; but it was not to be avoided, unless I had remained so much longer here, as to have allowed my Secretary time to copy the whole over again; And my impatience to be on my return homewards, on Account of the Season—the Roads—and more especially the passage of the...
50From George Washington to James McHenry, 13 December 1798 (Washington Papers)
You will observe that in the arrangement of the officers alloted to New York there is an alternative of Wm S. Smith or Abijah Hammond for Lt Colonel Commandant. Various considerations demand that the motive of this hesitation should be explained. Had military qualifications alone been consulted the name of Colonel Smith would have stood singly and he would have been deemed a valuable...
51From George Washington to James McHenry, 14 December 1798 (Washington Papers)
Private Dear Sir, Chester [Pa.] 14th Decr 1798. Having requested that the nomination of Mr Custis might be with held (even if it should meet the Presidents approbation under any circumstances) until I could consult his Grandmother (Mrs Washington) and mother Mrs Stuart; I further pray that no mention of his name for such an Office may be made until the result is known; because, if their...
52From George Washington to James McHenry, 16 December 1798 (Washington Papers)
Being detained on the East bank of this River by Northwesterly winds & consequent low tides, I shall devote some of the moments of my detention in writing to you on an important subject. In a conversation [I] had with you in Philadelphia, you discovered the very just opinion, that for the proper & successful direction of our military affairs, it was essential that it should be as far as...
53From George Washington to James McHenry, 6 January 1799 (Washington Papers)
Your favor of the 28th Ulto I have duly received. I have no wish that any sentiments of mine, handed to you officially, should be withheld from Congress, or the Public. All I should have desired, wou’d have been, that such parts of my Report of the proceedings which occupied the attention of the two Major Generals and myself in Philadelphia, and fit for Legislative consideration, might have...
54From George Washington to James McHenry, 27 January 1799 (Washington Papers)
The enclosed letter for Mr McAlpin (my Tayler in Philadelphia) left open for your perusal, may be delivered, or not, as you shall judge best. and if the former takes place, to be accompanied with your sentiments on the doubtful parts of it. It is predicated first, on the supposition that the Uniform for the different grades of Officers, is conclusively fixed, & to be established as a standing...
55From George Washington to James McHenry, 28 January 1799 (Washington Papers)
I have duly received your letters of the 5th 10th & 21st & 22d of this month, with their several enclosures. It is well known to you that in selecting from the documents laid before us, suitable Characters to fill the respective grades in the twelve additional Regimts the Major Generals and myself spared no pains to find such as appeared, on every account, most likely to render efficient...
56From George Washington to James McHenry, 4 February 1799 (Washington Papers)
Presly Thornton, who is appointed a Captain in one of the Virginia Regiments, and in the list of Officers handed to you, is placed the first Captain in Colo. Bentley’s Regiment, and designated of Northumberland, informs me there has been a mistake in your office with respect to him; as a Relation of his, bearing the same names, & living in Caroline County, is understood by you to be the person...
57From George Washington to James McHenry, 6 February 1799 (Washington Papers)
Enclosed are sundry letters which have come to my hands, requesting Appointments in the Army of the United States. You will observe that all these letters, excepting one, are from foreigners; and as I presume it is a principle pretty well established, that it would be improper to admit persons of this description into our Army, unless it is a few Characters well skilled as Engineers or...
58From George Washington to James McHenry, 10 February 1799 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 1st instant is received. Whatever appearance, or shape, the Uniform intended for me, may take, by your direction, will be entirely agreeable to my taste. It being the commencement of a distinguishing dress for the Commander in Chief of the armies of the United States (whomsoever he maybe) and probably will be a permanent one—my wish (although as it respects myself personally...
59From George Washington to James McHenry, 16 February 1799 (Washington Papers)
The enclosed letter from Major Lawrence Lewis requires explanation, and it is the purpose of this letter to give it. He had, it seems, been making Overtures of Marriage to Miss Custis some time previous to the formation of the Augmented Corps in November last, at Philadelphia; without any apparent impression, until she found he was arranged as a Captain in the Regiment of Light Dragoons, and...
60From George Washington to James McHenry, 4 March 1799 (Washington Papers)
I have been duly favoured with your letter of the 12th ultimo—and am much obliged by your kind attention to the business which I desired McAlpin to execute for me. Enclosed is a letter from Mr Alexr A. Peters requesting to be appointed Surgeon or Lieutt in the Army—also one addressed to yourself which came to my hands by the last Mail. I am dear Sir, with due respect & esteem, Your mo. ob. st...