I am excessively sorry to be under the disagreeable necessity of informing you that the 8th Masstts Regt was one of the Corps alluded to in the orders of this day, as not having made that elegant appearance at the Review yesterday which was expected—Let me entreat & conjure you, Sir, in the most forcible terms, and let me enjoin it upon both Officers & Men, that the greatest possible exertions should be made to put the Regt in a more respectable condition before another Review: in order to save me the irksome task of carrying into execution what I have promised in the orders of this day, and them the otherwise inevitable disgrace of being held up to public view in a disagreeable manner.

These observations will be understood to apply only to the Battalion Companies; for in justice to the Lt Comp[any,] I must say, that I thought very few if any in the Line made a more soldierlike figure. I am Sir with great regard.