1. See Robert Howe to GW, 13 July.

2. In the enclosed undated “Plan for the Formation of the Light Infantry,” Steuben proposed that each regiment of the army furnish a company of one captain, one lieutenant, three sergeants, one drummer, one fifer, and forty-two rank and file. Twenty-five of the soldiers should be “old Soldiers who have been well Exercised”; the others should be chosen from the regiment’s “most robust and active Recruits.” When a regiment reached a strength of 290 effective rank and file, Steuben proposed that its light infantry company be increased to fifty rank and file. Four light infantry companies were to form a battalion under the command of a lieutenant colonel or major, two battalions would form a regiment under the command of a colonel, four or six battalions were to form a brigade commanded by a brigadier general, and the whole of the light infantry would form a division under the command of a major general. Each battalion would have an adjutant, quartermaster and paymaster, sergeant major, quartermaster sergeant, and surgeon’s mate. Each regiment would have a surgeon assigned.

Steuben planned for each of the army’s thirteen brigades, including the New Hampshire brigade grouped with one Rhode Island regiment, to provide one 200-man battalion of four companies for the light infantry, except the small brigades of brigadier generals Edward Hand and John Stark, which were to furnish two companies each to form one battalion. This organization would yield forty-eight companies in twelve battalions, with a total strength of 2,400 rank and file (DLC:GW).

For the formation of the light infantry corps, see General Orders, 16 July; see also General Orders, 1 August.

3. The enclosed extract from Steuben’s letter of this date to army sub-inspector Lt. Col. Ebenezer Sproat reads: “The First object, & which I wish to be undertaken immediately is the forming a Company of Light Infantry, & levelling each Regiment; for which pu[r]pose twenty five, old soldiers are to be immediately chosen from each Regiment to serve as a foundation for the Light Company; The Eight Batallion Companies are then to be levelled; and as Recruits come in, they are to be divided to the Eight Companies till the whole are of the same strength with the Light Company; after which the Recruits are to be equally divided among the nine Companies.

“If the number of Recruits who join, should not be sufficient to bring the Companies to forty Rank & file: it is nevertheless my intention that the Light Company should have that Strength & in that Case the dificency of that number, must be drafted from the Batallion Companies: by this means the Light Company, tho’ it should consist of Fifty Rank & file will have at least one half Old soldiers, & the Batn Companies will have an equal of Old soldiers in each.

“To render the Recruits anywise ser[v]icable, it is absolutely necessary they should be exersised as much as possible: for this purpose I have agreed with Genl Howe that none of them are to be employed either on Guards or Fatigues and I wish the Inspectors to pay particular attention to their Instruction; that they are excersised every day twice, one hour and a half each time, in the Morning at Reveillie beating: & in the Evening, an hour & a half before sunsett—the first Six days, they are to be exercised without Arms & wholly employed in learning to carry themselves well, to March, & to Dress.

“At this Exercise the Commanding officers of Regiments are themselves to attend & they must be answerable for the attendance of all their Officers, & that no Recruit is on any Account exercised by a Noncommissioned Officer.

“By an agreement with Genl Howe, for the future, not more than one third of the old Troops are to be on Duty at once, this will afford an opportunity of Exercising them, for this purpose the Colonels must divide their Officers, giving to some the Instruction of the Old Troops and to the others, the Recruits.

“In these Exercises, the most pointed attention, must be paid, to the Mode prescribed in the Regulations.

“With respect to the arms—each Colo. is to give immediately a Return, on honor of the Arms & Accoutrements in the possession of the Regiment, with these he will be immediatly charged, in an Account Kept by the Inspector for that purpose, and he on his part is to charge the Captains, and take receipts, for those in possession of their Companies—when more Arms are wanted the Return must be signed by the Colonels and Countersigned by the Inspectors, and a Receipt taken by the Inspe[c]tor for the Arms &c. delivered in the Return and charged to the Regiment—when a Regiment has arms to return in, they are to return them to the Conductor & take his receipt for them, which receipt they are to Change with the Inspector for his Receipt.

“Another object I wish to call your attention to, is the number of men absent—and improperly employed, out of the Regiment. all those on furlough must be recalled immediately, and as many of those as possible who come under the latter [de]scription must be called in, and exe[r]cised.

“Notwithstanding the many orders to the Contrary: standing Guards are still in practice. these must be undoubtedly relieved—and it is my wish as much as possible to chang⟨e⟩ all Waggoners, waiters, & others who are old soldier⟨s⟩ for recruits (DLC:GW).