From George Washington to the Board of War, 23 February 1780
To the Board of War
Hd Qrs Morris Town Feby 23d 1780
Gentlemen.
By the regulations the non-comissioned officers are to be armed with swords as a mark of distinction and to enable them the better to maintain the authority due to their stations—This necessary arrangement has not yet been carried into execution— By some returns I have seen there appears to have been a considerable number of Hessian hangers at Albany, though I find no mention of them in the last returns of The Commissary of Military stores—I presume the Board know where they are, and I should think it would be adviseable to have these and any others that may be brought to the army and distributed.1
There is a great deficiency of drums fifes and standards.2 I presume the necessary measures are taking to procure them with other articles of a similar kind. I have the honor to be very respectfully Gentlemen Yr most Obed. & hume servant.
Df, in Alexander Hamilton’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
1. At this point on the draft, Hamilton wrote and then marked out the following words: “though not so good as swords they may serve for a substitute.”
2. Apparently this situation had not improved since Adj. Gen. Alexander Scammell made a discouraging report of the state of the army’s colors and standards in September 1778 (see General Orders, 2 Sept. 1778, n.2). In its reply of 28 Feb., the Board of War explained some of the reasons for the delay in providing all the regiments with colors and standards.