661From Alexander Hamilton to James McHenry, 16 September 1799 (Hamilton Papers)
In recurring to your letter of the 29th of August, I observe there are some points which for a clearer understanding require from me some observations. I shall make this preliminary remark, that in presenting with emphasis, as I am accustomed to do, deficiencies which appear to have existed—I am actuated by the sole and exclusive motive of shewing by particular instances that the past plan has...
662From Alexander Hamilton to James McHenry, 27 September 1799 (Hamilton Papers)
I regret that I did not find in your letter of the 23 instant some assurances, as to the future, which would have enabled me to tranquillize the minds of those Officers, who may have been rendered uneasy by the appointments which have been in discussion between us. Had this been the case, I should have gladly left the subject at rest; for certainly I have no inclination to animadvert on the...
663From George Washington to James McHenry, 3 April 1797 (Washington Papers)
Private Dear Sir, Mount Vernon 3d April 1797 Your letter of the 24th Ulto has been duly received, and I thank you for the information given in it: Let me pray you to have the goodness to communicate to me occasionally, such matters as are interesting, and not contrary to the rules of your official duty to disclose. We get so many details in the Gazettes, and of such different complexions, that...
664From Alexander Hamilton to James McHenry, 30 September 1799 (Hamilton Papers)
Enquiry has been made of me by the Commandants of the several regiments with respect to the construction of the last resolution in the Appendix to the Articles of War. They wish to know whether this resolution gives a reward to parties of soldiers who may apprehend deserters. I would thank you for your opinion on the subject. Of the expediency of giving a reward to parties of soldiers that may...
665From Alexander Hamilton to James McHenry, 19 August 1799 (Hamilton Papers)
I return you the papers of Mr. Williams which you sent me at his desire for perusal. The explanation and your final opinion of the affair have given me pleasure, as I should be sorry that any circumstance of improper conduct should have stood in the way of the employment of Mr. Williams. I regret extremely that obstacles should exist to the requiring of the resignation of Mr. Francis. You are...
666From George Washington to James McHenry, 7 July 1799 (Washington Papers)
I have duly received your private letter of the 29th Ulto with its enclosures, and return your letters to and from General Hamilton. In my letter to Genl Hamilton, which has been before you, you find I have fully expressed my opinion on the expediency—regarding circumstances—of promoting General Wilkinson to the Rank of Major General and I am always willing to give publicity to any sentiment...
667From Alexander Hamilton to James McHenry, 2 September 1799 (Hamilton Papers)
Your letter of the 29 instant is received. I shall conform to what I understand to be the spirit of the practice of which it gives examples. It is right not to make an extra allowance to officers for performing a military duty at a place where they are stationed or where they actually are resident, or where there is a military post at which they can be accommodated as usual except for...
668From 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...
669From Alexander Hamilton to James McHenry, [27 January–11 February] 1798 (Hamilton Papers)
It may serve to prepare the way for a direct answer to the questions stated by the President to make some preliminary observations. 1 It is an undoubted fact that there is a very general and strong aversion to War in the minds of the people of this Country—and a considerable part of the community (though even this part has been greatly alienated from France by her late violent conduct...
670George Washington to James McHenry, 13 December 1798 (Hamilton Papers)
You will observe that in the arrangement of the officers allotted 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...
671From Alexander Hamilton to James McHenry, 21 August 1798 (Hamilton Papers)
You will herewith receive the list mentioned in mine of yesterday. The names marked with an * are those which engage my preference as last ascertained. The list comprises the names you sent me and some others which have come directly to me. Besides these there are a number of applications with my Remarks upon them which were put up in a packet and either transmitted to you or delivered to Mr....
672From Alexander Hamilton to James McHenry, 20 October 1799 (Hamilton Papers)
It appears to me very adviseable to remit to the Pay Master General of the Western army bounty money for a Regiment complete for the double purpose of reinlisting those men whose times of service are expiring and of recruiting in addition men equal to four companies as I am informed may probably be effected without much difficulty. The inlistment of men within the scene has the double...
673From George Washington to James McHenry, 4 July 1798 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 26th Ulto propounds a very serious, interesting & important question to me: a question that might have been answered with less delay if I had been as much in the habit since, as before I became a private citizen, of sending regularly to the Post Office on Post days for letters. The sentiments which I mean to express to you in this letter, on the subject of yours, shall be...
674From 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...
675From 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...
676From 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...
677From 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...
678Enclosure: George Washington to James McHenry, [13 November 1798] (Hamilton 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...
679From George Washington to James McHenry, 10 August 1798 (Washington Papers)
Private & confidential My dear Sir, Mount Vernon 10th Augt 1798 You will consider this letter as private & confidential. Dictated by friendship, and flowing from the best intentions. If then, any thing should be found therein wch may have too much the appearance of plain dealing, look to the motives, and manner of the communication, & my apology will be sought for in yr candor. From the moment...
680From Alexander Hamilton to James McHenry, [April 1797] (Hamilton Papers)
Situated as I am at this moment I am obliged to confine myself to very general hints respecting the paper of the 15 of April. As to the first head—I think it will be adviseable that the Speech should be confined to the foreign Affairs of the Country giving the primary & prominent place to those with France. This will make the main business the more striking. Domestic matters may follow in...
681From 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...
682From Alexander Hamilton to James McHenry, 12 October 1799 (Hamilton Papers)
It is now time to contemplate the distribution of the Troops of the UStates into Divisions and Brigades. The arrangement which appears to me expedient for the present is this—“That the four old Regiments shall form One Division and two Brigades the twelve new ones Two Divisions and four Brigades.” The very great sphere of action to which the former are destined, including important and...
683From 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...
684From Alexander Hamilton to James McHenry, 12 November 1799 (Hamilton Papers)
I am this moment honored with your letter of the 8th instant. Considering the nature of my agency, in respect to the subject of it, I must understand the Remarks which are made as not applying to what I have done, but to the previous measures of General Wilkinson. It is known to you that the project was adopted and acted upon long before I was in command, that agreeing in opinion with General...
685Enclosure: John Adams to James McHenry, Timothy Pickering, Oliver Wolcott, Junior, and Charles Lee, 24 January 1798 (Hamilton Papers)
The President of the U S. requests the Secy of State, the Secy of the treasury, the Secy of War and the Atty. general to take into consideration the state of the nation and its foreign relations especially with France. These indeed may be so connected with these, with England Spain Holland and others that perhaps the former cannot be well weighed without the other. If our Envoys extraordinary...
686From 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...
687From George Washington to James McHenry, 11 August 1799 (Washington Papers)
Your private letters of the 29th Ulto & 5th instant, have been duly received. Mr Bordley for presenting, and you for forwarding his Essays on Husbandry, are entitled to, and, accordingly receive, my thanks for these instances of both your kindnesses. (Confidential) I think you Wisemen of the East, have got yourselves into a hobble, relatively to France, Great Britain, Russia & the Porte—to...
688From Alexander Hamilton to James McHenry, [17 May 1798] (Hamilton Papers)
I have received your letter of the instant. Not having seen the law which provides the Naval Armament , I cannot tell whether it gives any new power to the President that is any power whatever with regard to the employment of the Ships. If not, and he is left on the foot of the Constitution, as I understand to be the case, I am not ready to say that he has any other power than merely to employ...
689From Alexander Hamilton to James McHenry, 25 October 1799 (Hamilton Papers)
Lt. Campbel Smith has made a representation to me on the subject of some claims which he has pending in the Accountant’s Office, and has requested the interposition of my opinion. Thinking it due to him as an Officer now under my command I trouble you with this letter. He states that he has claims of two kinds—One for services rendered for more than two years as judge advocate previous to the...
690From 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...