To George Washington from the Board of War, 3 December 1779
From the Board of War
War Office [Philadelphia] Decr 3. 1779.
Sir
We beg leave to inclose to you copies of two letters to Congress from Baron Steuben & Mr Galvan, the originals of which have been referred to this board.1 Baron Steuben & Baron de Kalb have written to us on the subject of those letters; and we have seen your Excellency’s certificate relative to Mr Galvan.2 From the whole, as well as from our own observation in repeated conversations, we are convinced of Mr Galvan’s merit as a gentleman and an officer; and that he possesses talents perfectly adequate to the office he requests. We also think his appointment might prove highly beneficial to the service: but he is a foreigner—not now in the line of the army—and the office he requests demands a rank now deemed important. But were these difficulties removed, we should still be unprepared to report in his favour, as we are uninformed of your Excellency’s sentiments in regard to the proposed office itself, independently of any candidate whatever. Baron Steuben mentions for its object, the horse, additional battalions, the several independent corps, &ca but the independent corps & additional battalions will generally, we conceive, be annexed to some brigade, with which their inspection will follow of course. Nothing, as we recollect, has been said at any time, relative to the inspection of the artillery. Will it be practicable to put the artillery and horse under the same sub-inspector? Unless these two corps are combined for the purpose we see no proper object for an additional sub-inspector: and as the business of inspection principally relates to the police of a corps, complete knowledge of artillery should seem not absolutely necessary for the inspector. Indeed it is not often to be expected that a perfect knowledge of the discipline of horse, artillery & infantry should be united in the same person; and were it deemed indispensible, from the idea we entertain of Mr Galvan’s abilities, we think few would obtain it with more facility than he. The services of the horse and artillery are so widely different, we shd doubt whether a subinspector taken from either would be equally pleasing to both as an officer of real merit & abilities who stood indifferent & unconnected with either. We have a high opinion of Mr Galvan, and should take pleasure in serving him: but in the first place we wish to consider the matter, & shall be happy to receive your Excellency’s sentiments concerning it, abstracted from any personal consideration. Should your Excellency’s opinion favour the appointment of an additional sub-inspector, we would then beg to be made acquainted with your ideas of the extent of the object of his inspection; and of the practicability of introducing Mr Galvan.3 We have the honour to be, with very great respect, your Excellency’s most obedient servants.
By order of the Board,
Tim: Pickering
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. The Board of War enclosed a letter from Major General Steuben to Congress, written at New Windsor, N.Y., on 17 Nov., and a letter from William Galvan to Congress, written at Philadelphia on 30 Nov., both in DLC:GW. Congress read these letters on 1 Dec. “with sundry certificates in favour of Captain Galvan” and referred the materials to the Board of War ( 15:1334–35). Steuben’s letter reads: “Your Arrangement of the Department of the inspection, has not failed to meet the expected Success, and the Troops have made the greatest Progress in Discipline and good order: But there are still many Corps in the army with which this Arrangement could not take place, Such are, the Cavalry, the Continental Regiments which belong to no particular State, the Several Independent Corps etcetera: I am of Opininion that an Uniformity should be Established between these Troops and the rest of the Army, and this, I believe, cannot be Effected without Augmenting the Number of the Inspectors.
“If such an Augmentation should take place, I might beg leave, Gentlemen, to propse Mo[nsieu]r de Galvan a Captain in the French service: and a Gentleman of a great Military merit and Talents, as an Officer very Capable of filling one of these Posts with honour and Success. He has lately presented me with a Plan of Regulations for the Cavalry, which appeared to me to be drawn in so sensible a manner, that I will not fail to make Use of it, when I make a plan of the same kind to submit to the approbation of your Honourable House. Mr Galvan has lately directed the Execution of the Manoeuvres he proposes in presence and with the approbation of the Commander in Chief.
“I cannot but believe, Gentleman, that Mr Galvan’s Talents may be of great Use to the United-States, if properly employed, and tho’ I would not wish to Augment the Number of Officers Already in the Army, yet the merit of this Officer is such, that I believe this Consideration may be with Advantage given up in his Favour.”
Galvan’s letter reads: “The Inspector General having thought proper to employ me in digesting a Body of Regulations for the Cavalry, and in teaching to same Troops the whole Course of Manoeuvres proposed for that Corps, has been satisfied with my efforts, and His Excellency General Washington, who was pleased to Honour the performance of the Troops taught by me with his presinss; has also expressed his satisfaction of the same. Emboldened by the testimony of both, I take the Liberty to Petition your Honours for a Commission of Lieut. Colonel, which may Qualify me for the Offices of Sub Inspector, either to the Cavalry or to the Continental Troops which belong to no particular State, as both those Corps are unprovided with such Officers.
“I beg leave, Most Honourable Sir’s, to represent at the same time to your Honours, that, during three years services in this Country, I have made such Expenses, and have been Superseded by so many persons under the standard at which my Superiors are pleased to Value me, that I cannot but expect that you will take my Case in particular Consideration and grant me a Compensation Adequate to the continuance of my Services, and to the many Sacrifices which I have made in this Country.
“The Compensation which I make bold to Claim is not a pecuniary one: it is purely honorific and such as alone can gratify the feelings of a Soldier not unworthy your service. It is a retrospective Commission or one in which you will be pleased to order, that I shall take Rank from the 1st of September 1778, the day that I joined the Army under General Washington at Whiteplains, as Ascertained by the Annexed Cirtificate of Major General de Kalb. The good of the service Concurs with your Justice and your Magnanimity in prompting you to grant this request, because in the Functions for which the Commander in Chief, and the Inspector General seem to design me, the higher will my Commission suit me, the more extensive will be the influence of the few Talents which are only support of my claim. The Favour which I humbly Crave is not so much unprecedented as my Case: you will find in your records several Instances of that Favour having been granted, but you will find none of the disinterestedness and self denial which have ma[r]ked every step of my Military Career in your Country.” The certificate from Maj. Gen. Johann Kalb has not been identified.
2. GW’s certificate in reference to Galvan has not been found, but see Galvan to GW, 6 November. Neither Steuben’s nor Kalb’s letter to the Board of War has been identified.