Head Quarters, New Windsor, February 10, 1781.
Sir: The inclosed instructions were begun though not completed at the time they are dated; but the disturbances in the
For your satisfaction, I shall here recapitulate the verbal directions given you in answer to your letter of the 14th of Jany. If my memory should fail me in any article which may affect your operations already commenced, I shall be obliged to you to point it out.
I gave it as my opinion that of the two modes proposed for procuring teams against the next campaign, assessment or hire, the latter was preferable; because the teams procured by assessment, as happened the last campaign, would probably be inadequate to the service, and because, for want of care in the manner of procuring them, they would be ultimately more expensive to the public, though not an immediate draft on the Continental treasury.
I did not approve your plan of assessing ox teams in some states, and horse teams in others, because the troops of each line would imagine they had a kind of exclusive right to the teams procured by their respective states and would unwillingly submit to the exchanges you have in view for particular exigencies. I think the attempt would be apt to produce disorder in several ways.
I advised to ox teams for all but the artillery and cavalry, which, from the nature of their service would sometimes require greater expedition than oxen would be capable of.
I approved your proposal for constructing tumbrils for the officers, and for allowing two to the field officers of each regiment.
As to the allowance of waggons for carrying the tents of a regiment, I advised you to ascertain it by an experimental calculation; by computing the number of tents sufficient for a regiment, and by weighing one tent dry, another wet to estimate the average.
As we have an unwillingness in the soldiery to carry their camp kettles themselves which would make it difficult to enforce it, I desired you to make an experiment of the kind of tumbrils you propose for carrying them, to determine with certainty how far they will answer your expectation; that if they will answer the purpose, you might have a sufficient number prepared. I observed however that I was rather doubtful of the success, and in case of failure, directed you to have recourse to the expedient of converting the old tents unfit for use, into bags large enough to contain the kettles, that with proper belts or slings of the tent cloth itself or of leather as you should judge best, they might be carried at the mens backs. As these bags will have to bear little weight they are not liable to the same objection as the forage bags.
I approved your idea of a particular construction of boats to be transported on carriages and referred you to Major Darby, who from having had charge of the boats at Preckness last campaign had had an opportunity to judge of the kind which would be most convenient.
In answer to a note of yours to Col Hamilton, I directed him to inform you that I thought the middle of May would be a proper time for the rendezvous of the teams.
I inclose you copy of a letter of mine of the [5th Feby.] 17 to General Heath in which you will perceive my ideas of the matters in dispute between him Col Hazen and yourself. With great regard etc. 18
[Note:Left vacant in the draft, but filled m in the Varick Transcripts in the Library of Congress.]
[Note:The draft is in the writing of Alexander Hamilton. (See Washington's letter to Col. Timothy Pickering, Jan. 1, 1781, ante .)Tilghman wrote to Pickering this same day (February 10): "By a Resolve of Con gress of the 10th of November last, (with which I believe you were furnished) the Commander in Chief is directed to cause Returns to be made to the Board of War 'of all Horses both public and private Property kept in Camp at the public expence, and also of those removed, noting at what places kept, and of what business employed.'The General wishes You to furnish this Return, that he may transmit it. Be pleased also to make the Return of Boats called for in General Orders sometime ago." Tilghman's letter is in the Washington Papers .]