From George Washington to Colonel Armand, 28 December 1779
To Colonel Armand
Hd Qrs Morristown 28 Decr 1779
Sir,
Col. Hamilton delivered me your letter of [ ].1 It is with pleasure I declare to you that I have the most favourable opinion of your conduct and services, particularly in the course of the last campaign in which circumstances enabled you to be more active and useful2—But notwithstanding this, so far from recommending the promotion you desire I confess to you with frankness, I should be unwilling to see it take place because it would be injurious to the pretensions of a great number of senior officers who have every title to consideration—If however Congress have given you reason to expect this advancement, they will no doubt perform their engagements.3
The letter or certificate you request on the footing it is placed can only be necessary in case of the failure of your intended application to Congress. When this is decided, if you do not succeed I shall be ready to give you an ample testimony of the sense I entertain of your merit, to satisfy your friends in France that your disappointment is not to be attributed to any cause unfavourable to your reputation.
I have examined the return of your corps and I find a deficiency of two officers to complete it to our establishment which is three officers to each company including the Regimental staff who are to be taken from these—I inclose a letter to the Board of War on the subject4—With respect to the recruiting money you speak of in the hands of the Board of War I think you had best keep it by you and engage occasionally the men that fall in your way. I think it unadviseable to send out officers expressly for recruiting because from the difficulty of the business it will be attended with more expence than advantage. You may send some officers in quest of deserters but as few as possible and to remain out as little time as possible. I am with great regard Sir Your most Obet & humble servt.
Df, in Alexander Hamilton’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
2. For Armand’s capture of the notorious Loyalist major Mansfield Bearmore, see William Heath to GW, 8 and 10 (second letter) November. Armand also had captured the Loyalist captain Isaac Curser (see Heath to GW, 7 Dec., and n.5).
3. Congress considered Armand’s application for a commission as brigadier general and referred the matter back to GW (see Board of War to Congress, 18 Jan. 1780, and Samuel Huntington to GW, 21 Jan., both DLC:GW; see also 16:72, 78). For GW’s unfavorable response, see his letter to Huntington, 27 Jan. (DNA:PCC, item 152); see also Armand to GW, 5 Feb. (DNA:PCC, item 152), and GW to Armand and to the Board of War, both 6 Feb. (both DLC:GW).
4. A draft of the enclosed letter from GW to the Board of War, written at Morristown on this date, reads: “By a state laid before me by Colonel Armand, I find his Corps deficient of two Officers a Lieutenant and Cornet. He has, I imagine, two Gentlemen in view, upon whom he wishes those appointments to be conferred. He further informs me that a Gentleman has for some time past done the duty of Adjt under the promise of a Lieutenancy and for that reason he desires a Comm[issio]n for him: You will be pleased to issue one upon his application” (Df, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW). For the favorable action of Congress on Armand’s requests for commissions, see 16:59–60.