To Alexander Hamilton from James McHenry, 20 June 1799
From James McHenry
[Philadelphia] 20 June 1799
Dear Sir
I received this morning from on board a vessel from London 4 set of military figures for the practice of tacticks one of which I send you for your amusement. It may be made a substitute for the game of chess.
There is a book which I would advise you to send to England for intitled the Officers manual in the field1 with 10 copper plates price in boards 15/Sg. It displays a series of military plans, representing the principal operations of a campaign, is a translation from a german work which was published at Berlin, under the auspices of General Czettiritz,2 & supposed to have been written a few years subsequent to the peace of 1763 in the reign of Frederick the 2d.
I shall order in a few copies and should you decline procuring one, send you one of them.
Yours truly
J McHenry
ADfS, James McHenry Papers, Library of Congress.
1. The Officer’s Manual in the Field; or a series of military plans, representing the principal operations of a campaign, trans. from the German (London: Printed by Egerton, 1798).
2. Ernest-Henri, baron de Czettritz-Neuhass, who was born in 1713, served as a cavalry officer in the Prussian army. He became a major general on December 2, 1757, and was promoted to lieutenant general on April 10, 1761.