To James Madison from Daniel Parker, 7 September 1815
From Daniel Parker
Adjt & Inspr. Genls office
7h. Septemr. 1815.
The enclosed copies1 which Mr. Graham states have been sent to the Commanding officers of the several Military Departments will not be considered authority for the Government of the army. A General order on the subject will be required.
The question has excited considerable interest in the army & the form of an order is herewith submitted for the further instructions of the President.2
D. Parker
Adj. I. Genl.
RC and enclosures (DLC). RC in a clerk’s hand, signed by Parker. For surviving enclosures, see n. 1.
1. Parker enclosed copies of George Graham’s 6 Sept. 1815 letter to him (1 p.), forwarding copies of Richard Rush’s 1 Sept. letter to William Harris Crawford (1 p.) and Rush’s enclosed opinion (1 p.) stating that brevets issued under the 3 Mar. 1813 act of Congress for the reorganization of the general staff “have lost their force and are no longer of avail to confer either emolument or rank.”
2. The enclosure has not been found, but the general order published in the Daily National Intelligencer on 13 Sept. 1815 read: “The several Laws and Articles of War relative to brevet rank, having been duly considered by the President of the United States, he is pleased to direct, for the future government of the army, that commissions in the staff shall confer neither rank or emolument to officers of the line who hold brevets by virtue of appointments in the general staff of the army, which are superseded by the act of March 3, 1815.”