From George Washington to the Board of War, 10 February 1780
To the Board of War
Head Quarters Morris Town 10th Feby 1780.
Gentlemen
I have, agreeable to the Resolve of Congres⟨s⟩ of the 12th Novemr, formed a regimental arrangement of the eleven Companies of Artificers at pres[ent] acting in a detached manner under the direction of the Quarter Master General1—who I have consulted on the occasion, as being better acquainted with the merits of the Officers, and the nature of the service, than I could possibly be.2—I have concluded to form the Regt in ten Companies—No. 1. contains the names of the Officers at present of the eleven Companies, wit⟨h⟩ their relative Ranks and pretensions. No. 2. such of them as are recommended for promotion and for contin⟨u⟩ance in the service, and those recommended for new Commissions3—No. 3. The number of Comm. and Staff Officers, and privates of which the Regim. is to consist4—No. 4. A Roll of the Artificers at present in service, with their terms of inlistment.5 By this last you will perceive the necessity of an early attention to recruiting the Corps—or being obliged to add to the heavy deduction already made from the Line of the Army—by taking Men of this Class from it. The 10th Captaincy and some Subs are yet vacant—The Quarter Master General has some persons in View to fill those places and will shortly recommend them.
Colo. Baldwin the Commandant of the Corps will have the honor of delivering this to the Board and will be able to give them any further insight which they may require into the nature of the Business—The Commissions for the Officers who are nominated may be delivered to him.6
It is my wish, as I before mentioned, that measures may be immediately taken to recruit the Corps to the establishment, if the plan is approved—and I think we might with safety adopt a measure, which has not been thought expedient in the line of the Army, which is, the inlistment of those deserters from the Enemy who are mechanics of the kind wanted. Being remote from danger in this Corps, they will not have the same inducements to return again to the enemy, as if they were of the line. The fear of being taken, generally operates so powerfully upon them, that they often go back, rather than run the risque—If this should be approved it will be necessary to insert it in Colo. Baldwins recruiting instructions, as there is a Resolve of Congres⟨s⟩ existing, against inlisting deserters, except by special licence7—It will also be necessary should orders be given to recruit to furnish the Colo. with a sum of Money, as the military Chest is barely adequate to the pay an⟨d⟩ contingent Expences of the Army. I have the honor &c.
Df, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
1. For the resolution of Congress, see Samuel Huntington to GW, 13 Nov. 1779, n.2; see also 15:1261–62.
2. For GW’s request to Maj. Gen. Nathanael Greene for an arrangement of the quartermaster department’s artificer corps, see GW to Greene, 31 Dec. 1779 (see also Greene to GW, 8 Feb.). On 3 Feb., Lt. Col. Jeduthan Baldwin, commandant of the corps, sent Greene his recommendations on the reorganization of the corps (see 5:338–39).
3. Retained copies of the first two enclosures, undated and in Tilghman’s writing, are in DLC:GW, filed with the documents dated 10 February. Of the eleven captains, eight first lieutenants, and two second lieutenants listed on the first enclosure as officers of the existing corps of quartermaster artificers, only one, Capt. William Mills, was not recommended for retention in the new corps. GW recommended that Baldwin continue in command of the corps, that Capt. Jeremiah Bruen (Brewen) be promoted to major of the new corps, and that the corps’ nine other captains and all the lieutenants be retained in the new organization. To fill the vacancies for lieutenants in the new corps, GW recommended five lieutenants serving with the artificers at West Point, one lieutenant serving in Connecticut, and the promotion of four foremen then serving with Baldwin’s corps.
4. An undated document in the writing of GW’s aide-de-camp Alexander Hamilton appears to be a draft of this enclosure and is in DLC:GW, filed with the documents dated 10 February. It reads: “A plan for enlisting a Corps of Artificers, to consist of ten companies, to be arranged in the following manner—To wit, One Lieutenant Colonel. One Major. 10 Captains. 10 1st Lieutenants. 10 2d Lieutenants. One Regimental Surgeon, and Mate. One Regimental Pay-Master and Clothier. 10 Clerks. One for each company—Forty Foremen. Five-hundred and twenty privates.
“That each Company consist of Fifty-two men of the following occupations, as near as may be—To wit, Twenty-four House-Carpenters. Four ship-Carpenters. Four shop-joiners. Ten Smiths. Six Wheel-wrights. Two Saddlers, and Harness-makers. One Shoe-maker. One Taylor.”
5. This enclosure has not been identified. Greene had enclosed a return of the men in the quartermaster artificer corps with his letter to GW of 8 February.
6. Sgt. Ebenezer Parkman, Jr., who served with the quartermaster artificers, wrote in his diary that Baldwin had departed camp for Philadelphia on 12 Feb. and returned on 4 March with the commissions. The officers received their commissions on 7 March (MWA: Parkman Family Papers).
7. For this resolution of 26 Feb. 1778, see 10:203.