We feel ourselves much obliged to your Excellency for having communicated to us the Plan of Operations concerted between Yourself and the Count de Rocham⟨beau⟩ for the ensuing Campaign;1 and in Compliance with your Excellency’s Request, we shall, you may be assured, through the whole Course of its Operations, give You our Opinion and Advice, either collectively or individually, with that Freedom and Candor which the Regard and Respect we bear your Excellency, and a Sense of Duty, unite to exact of us; nor shall we be discouraged from continuing to do this, though you should deviate from the Measures we may happen to recommend, as we have the highest Confidence that you will be governed in this, as well as in all other Cases, by the best Reasons.2

Sensible of the Necessity of œconomising Provisions, we shall exert ourselves to prevent All Waste and Embezelment.

We think with your Excellency, that if the Commissary General of Purchases does not in Person, or by Deputy, attend at proper Places, to receive and receipt for the Provisions, sent forward by the State Contractors, and to deliver them to, and take Receipts from, the different Commissaries of Issues, he ought by all Means to be made to do so, or he is by no Means an adequate Check upon them; the Mode of obtaining Provisions from the several States is so complex and uncertain; the Manner of bringing them up, when obtained, by Persons not dependant upon the Army; the Abuses and Embezlement they may commit with Impunity upon the Road, as well as many other Circumstances; leave us at a Loss to recommend any very effectual Measure to remedy these Inconveniences, while that System exists: perhaps proper Officers, sent occasionally upon the several Routes, through which Provisions are brought up, to observe the Conduct of Commissaries with whom they are lodged, as well as that of the Persons Transporting them; to enquire into the State of the Provisions droped on the Road; to report the Places where left, and the Propriety of leaving them there; might have a good Effect. An immediate Inspection of Provisions, arriving at stationary Magazines, would probably enable us to trace Neglects or Iniquity to their Origin; as a frequent Inspection of them, after they are deposited in the Magazines, might prevent the Abuses or Loss of them by Neglect.3

In Respect to the Number of issuing Posts, we have marked in the Return, those we think should be discontinued.4

The Plan of traveling Ovens, and for the Regulation of Bread, given in by Genl Knox, we very highly approve of; except that we think the Army ought to be served with a pound and a Quarter of Bread for each pound of Flour, which will then leave enough in the Hands of the Bakers to compensate the baking; or, should they recieve Wages, may be reserved for the Public.5 As to the Officers of the Staff who ought to have Servants, we cannot ascertain this Matter, as we have no Detail of them; we think, however, that the present State of Affairs, for Want of Pay, Depreciation of Money &C., will not admit of too rigid a Reform, in that Department, without Danger of losing, at this critical Juncture, many valuable Staff Officers: the Officers immediately commanding Corps, to which Officers of the Staff are attached, may rectify Abuses by Degrees, and abridge those, of Servants, who ought not to have them from the Line and this we think the best mode of Reformation.

The Number of Women, necessary to the Army, is in our Opinion one to every Fifteen Men.6

The very capital Importance of West Point to the common Cause; the Value of the Stores deposited there; must make it a tempting Object to the Enemy and will probably induce them to attempt the Possession of it, should it be left but weakly Garrison’d; we therefore conceive that to secure that Post & its Dependencies, not less than twelve hundred Men should be appropriated to it, these we recommend to be composed of Continentals & Militia, in such Proportion, as to your Excellency shall appear proper.7

It is our Opinion, that the Army should take the Field as immediately as Circumstances will admit, and that the first Position, it should assume, should be somewhere in the Vicinity of Peekskill.8

In Regard to the Time, in which the Militia demanded of the New England States, may be brought in,9 we imagine it will require upon an Average of at least one Month.

With the greatest Pleasure we have obeyed Your Excellencys Commands in giving Our Opinion on the Subjects refer’d to us, it will make us happy if, in doing this, we should meet your Approbation. we are, Sir, with the greatest Respect Your Excellencys most Obedt & very hble Servants