John Sullivan to George Washington, 9 March 1781
From John Sullivan
Philadelphia March 9th 1781
Dear General
Your Excellencys Letter of the 20th of December, was refered to a Committee of which I have the Honor to be one.1 we Yesterday gave in a Report which being read appeared Satisfactory to Congress as no objection was made to it. I moved That previous to its being Considered it might be refered to Your Excellency for Your Opinion, upon which, it was recommitted; and The Committee Instructed to Consult Your Excellency upon it. I Therefore take the Liberty of Inclosing Your Excellency a Copy of the Report and of requesting (in behalf of the Committee) Your opinion upon it.2
The first Paragraph is agreeable to the Line of promotion which Your Excellencey was pleased to point out:3 But as it could not be Extended to Hazens Regiment & others in Similar Circumstances the 2d Resolution became Necessary.4
The Third & fourth respecting the Artillery and Cavalry are Liable to Some objections but Much Less so than any other which Suggested themselves to the Committee.5
The Promotion of Brigadiers & Major Generals comes nearer to that of rising in the Line of the Army than any which has Yet been Adopted or Suggested. and any other would be attended with Insuperable Difficulties—That of Suffering the States to have officers according to the number of Troops furnished would prove injurious to officers of the Smaller States & Even if they were to Stand Intituled to promotions when they became the Senior officers In the Line of the Army: Their promotion would be uncertain as they would Constantly have to Combat with the Interest of States & the Caprice of Individuals to obtain it.
The Committee will Thank Your Excellencey for Your Sentiments upon Every Paragraph of the Report and beg You to give the Date of Colo. Tilghmans & Doctor McHenrys Entering the Service.6 In behalf of the Committee I have the honor to be with the Most Lively Sentiments of affection and Esteem Dr Genl Your Excellencys most obedt Servant
Jno. Sullivan Chairman
P:S: The Clause respecting volunteers will prevent the Army from being Commanded by illiterate Serjeants which must inevitably be the Case in a few Years if Some Such mode is not adopted.7
J:S:
ALS, DLC:GW. GW replied to Sullivan on 4 April.
1. GW’s letter to Samuel Huntington, president of Congress, of 20–26 Dec. 1780 related to officer promotions and had been referred to a committee consisting of Sullivan, Rhode Island delegate James Mitchell Varnum, and Virginia delegate Theodorick Bland (see also Sullivan to GW, 2 Jan. 1781, and n.3 to that document).
2. The enclosed committee report, read in Congress on 8 March, contained promotion proposals for officers in the line, cavalry, and artillery (see DLC:GW, filed under 9 March; see also , 19:242–44, and n.3 below).
3. For the first paragraph of the enclosed committee report, see See Remarks on a Congressional Committee Report, 3 April, n.1.
4. Sections of the first and second resolutions in the enclosed report addressed the committee’s concerns: “With respect to promoting battallion officers to the rank of brigadiers your committee beg leave to report as their opinion that such promotions if confined to States that furnish one or more brigades will exclude the smaller States and of course destroy all pretentions to promotions by Officers of such States whatever may be their pretentions arising from seniority.
“That permitting them to take place among the States in rotation will be no less injurious. And that promotions from the eldest battallions Officers in the army will not only be injurious to Officers belonging to the larger States but will have a tendency to place troops coming from one extreme of the continent under the Command of a brigadier coming from another who cannot be so well acquainted with the temper and disposition of the troops as an Officer taken from among themselves.
“To prevent these inconveniences your Committee have thought proper to confine the promotion of Brigadiers to certain districts in each of which Brigadiers when wanting shall be made from the senior battallion officer of that district without regard to any particular State—And they beg leave to submit the following resolutions vizt:
“Resolved, That so far as respects the promotion of battalion officers to the rank of brigadiers the States of New hampshire and Massachusetts be considered as making four brigades. Rhode Island and Connecticut two brigades[;] New York New Jersey and Hazens Regiment two brigades. Pensylvania two brigades[;] Delaware and Maryland two brigades. Virginia and North Carolina four brigades.
“Resolved, That whenever a Brigadier shall be wanting for the troops of either of those districts he shall be made from the senior battalion Officer without regarding the State to which he belongs” (the notation “5” in the left margin of the first, second, and third pages identifies the sections; see n.2 above).
5. See Remarks on a Congressional Committee Report, 3 April, notes 3, 4, and 7.
6. For the information GW gave about his aide-de-camp Tench Tilghman and former secretary James McHenry, see Remarks on a Congressional Committee Report, 3 April, and n.11.
7. See Remarks on a Congressional Committee Report, 3 April, n.16.