To Alexander Hamilton from Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, 30 May 1800
From Charles Cotesworth Pinckney
Camp near Harpers Ferry [Virginia]
May 30th: 1800.
Sir
The last post brought me your favours of the 14th: 17th:, 19th:1 & 20th: instant. I am busied in preparing for the reduction. Without I receive orders to the contrary by the next post, I shall direct the 10th: Regt: to march to Pennsylvania to be there disbanded; and the Ninth Regiment to Maryland, for the same purpose. Some expence will be by this means incurred, in Waggon Hire; but the very great inconveniency will be avoided of disbanding a large body of men together; and having them together in a State, to which they do not belong, when released from military subordination. I have appointed three officers to take charge of the Men who have inlisted for five years;2 they will remain here till further orders. I have directed such as are willing to engage in the Artillery or four old Regts. to give in their names. Had I had, authority to have appointed Subalterns, & Bounty money, I could at least have inlisted three hundred. I have been pressing the War Department to send on the pay, and the three months additional allowance, without entrenching themselves in official forms & etiquette. That of the 8th: Regt. is come on. I fear most for the 6th: in North Carolina. If it has not been transmitted, as I desired ten days ago, the time of their reduction will arrive before the money.
What is to be done with our unfinished compilation of a system for the Training, Exercise, movements evolutions discipline, and police of the Cavalry?3 and what do you intend to do with your Artillery and Infantry systems?4
I remain with great regard & esteem your most obedt. Servt.
Charles Cotesworth Pinckney
Honble. Major Genl. Hamilton
New York.
ALS, Hamilton Papers, Library of Congress.
1. Letter not found.
2. See H to James McHenry, May 29, 1800; H to Pinckney, Nathan Rice, and William S. Smith, May 29, 1800.
3. Pinckney, with the assistance of John De Barth Walbach, John Watts, and William Washington, had been ordered by H to prepare a cavalry manual for the Army. See Pinckney to H, December 12, 1799; January 9, 1800; Walbach to H, January 23, 1800.
4. For the artillery plan, see Lewis Tousard to H, February 25, 1800. For the infantry plan, see “Plan of the Formation of a Regiment for Exercise or Battle,” December, 1799–March, 1800; “Formation and Disposition of a Regiment of Infantry,” December, 1799–March, 1800.