Recruitment difficulties
Document 1794Cornelius Sedam laments the difficulty of recruiting when the men do not receive their pay. In a subsequent memo, accountant Howell says the recruits were paid and would have been paid on time if Sedam was governed by his muster. Expresses surprise at Sedam's complaints, for it is notorious that no officer receives more attention.
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Albany March 3d 1794
Sir/
I send you the Rolls for the Month of February and I have been waiting with patience for the Pay of the Months of December and January last, which not coming to hand as yet, has been a great detriment to the Recruiting service, for you may well know the Pay is Low, were the Soldiers to get it Monthly, but much worse when he does not get at all, at least not once in four Months, which is the case at present.
This makes the Recruiting service appear odious and I am in dread will prove of bad consequence —
Sir/ I have thought it my duty to inform you, after which you may use your pleasure — If you think proper to send on the Pay I shall be thankfull and will send the Receipts from the Men by Next Post. And
Sir believe me to be
Your friend and Humble Servant
Corns N R Sedam
Capt & Sub Legion
C C B o 1
[on the 2d]
93. Capt Sedam reccd his own pay & Subsist. to 1 Jany 94 in advance. His recruits were previously paid to 18 Decr 93.
He sent on his muster for Decemr & Jany. The error in the roll of December 93 obliged me to obtain information of his [undecipherable] & c. Delayed the transmission of the pay although it since appears [undecipherable] was by 31 Dols 35 due in that month, but if I had been governed by his muster I should have paid him the pay of the men he left at Brunswick — In March he writes for pay — this an [undecipherable] could not be granted until the act of appropriation passed, before this Letter arrived I had reflected on the [undecipherable] —
Jany & Feby — I am exceedingly surprised that Capt Sedam should make any complaint upon whatever, for it is notorious that no officer in the army has had more attention paid him than Capt Sedam — I can only attribute it to his ignorance of the necessity of an Appropriation being requisite and passed previous to Monies being sent for Pay of this Year —
Memo of the Accountant to the Secy of War this 5 Aprl 1794
[to Henry [undecipherable] Esqr]
[from Capt Sedam]
Type
Autograph Letter Signed
Description
Cornelius Sedam laments the difficulty of recruiting when the men do not receive their pay. In a subsequent memo, accountant Howell says the recruits were paid and would have been paid on time if Sedam was governed by his muster. Expresses surprise at Sedam's complaints, for it is notorious that no officer receives more attention.
Date
03/03/1794
Author
Recipient
Sent from
Albany
Document number
1794030355001
Page start
1
Notable persons
Cornelius Sedam
Joseph Howell
troops
recruits
Notable locations
Albany
New York
Notable items
pay
money
muster
recruiting

