George Washington to Charles Thomson, 29 May 1781
To Charles Thomson
Head Quarters New Windsor May 29th 1781
Sir
Upon my return from Weathersfield I found your favor of the 10th instant1—There never has been any regular establishment of the department of Geographer to the Army; but the pay that has been heretofore, and is now allowed to the principal in this quarter is four Dollars ⅌r day, and four Rations—with an allowance of incidental Charges, such as travelling from place to place—and for provisions for himself and Party when out of reach of the Magazines of the Army—The Assi[s]tants have had two Dollars ⅌r day—The Chain Bearers have been drawn from the Army occasionally, and are allowed half a dollar extra ⅌r day while upon service.2
Proper attention has been paid to the other Resolves contained in yours.3 I have the honor to be Sir Your Most Obedt Servt
Go: Washington
LS (duplicate), in David Humphreys’s writing, DNA:PCC, item 152; Df, DLC:GW; copy, DNA:PCC, item 41; copy, DNA:PCC, item 149; copy, DNA:PCC, item 169; Varick transcript, DLC:GW. Humphreys wrote on the LS: “June 5th. Duplicate. The Original captured in the Mail by the Emissaries of the Enemy.” The original receiver’s copy has not been found. For the intercepted mail, see GW to Lafayette, 4 June, n.1.
1. See Thomson to GW, 10 May. GW returned to headquarters from Wethersfield on 25 May (see The Wethersfield Conference and Aftermath, 14 May–16 June, editorial note).
2. For more on these pay issues, see GW to Timothy Pickering, 27 April.
Thomas Hutchins, nominated as geographer to the southern army, wrote Thomas McKean, president of Congress, from Philadelphia on 11 July: “On the day before Yesterday I was favored with an official Communication of his Excellency General Washington’s Letter to the Secretary of Congress, respecting the Pay and Emoluments of the Geographer to the Army. I entreat your Excellency will present my Respects to Congress and inform them that I thankfully accept the Commission of ‘Geographer to the Southern Army,’ with which I stand honored. …
“Honorable as the Commission is, its precariousness suggested to me the verbal application I then made to you for procuring if possible, an Alteration of the Words, of my appointment, which make it local and Temporary, and substituting in it the ‘United States’ for ‘the Southern Army.’ Your Excellency very politely promised to make the Motion” (DNA:PCC, item 41). Congress resolved on the same date: “That the geographer to the main army, and also the geographer to the southern army, be stiled ‘Geographer to the United States of America,’ and commissioned and considered as such; and that they perform such services as the Commander in Chief, and commanding officer of the southern army, may judge necessary to assign them respectively” (, 20:738).
3. For the resolves, see Thomson to GW, 10 May, source note.