Copy General Henry Lee War-Office Decr. 12th 1795 Dear Sir I have just received your Letter of the 6th covering Mr. Beddinger’s and Doctor Wellfords. I am sorry do differ from you in respect to the Doctor’s argument to support his demands for what he decerns a moderate, but which I cannot help thinking as extraordinary compensation. B., Docctor Wellford’s settling, and pursuing the [undecipherable] of his profession, in this country, he cannot be considered as a citizen, and consequently, charged with certain duties which, in common with other citizens, he is bount to render at the just call of the country. The services to be performed will natuarlly be [undecipherable] to the citizens according to these [undecipherable] talents: and while the [undecipherable] merchants and labourers are bound to appear & to [undecipherable] and Ammunition, the Surgeons & Physicians are under equal obligations to serve with their instruments as [undecipherable] But of these [undecopherable] difference among those possessions, it is all in favour of the latter[?]. Merchandman [undecipherable] and the [undecipehrable] at the busiest season in his [undecipherable] not (this you know was precisely the case of me of Philadelphia, on the expedition in question) for the lasting compensation allowed by the [undecipherable] serving in the [undecipherable]: While the medical men will receive rewards comparatively very [?]il. Doctor Welford urges as surgeon to support his hand, that the employment was temporary & therefore at the principle which regulated the compensations of the Medical Staff in the [undecipherable] War [undecipherable] service will not apply in this case. But are we not to expect that all consriptions will be temporary? Are they not as in their nature? And if the Doctor’s reasons be good one, should not the pay of the Officers and Soldiers be also doubled? But who else thought of making such a proposition as the latter? At any rate, until the authority of the country shall make the provision, the Officers & Soldiers must be content with the ordinary pay and every man, whatever be his profession, who enjoys the advantages, must consider himself amenable to the duties od Citizenship. Doctor Welford says " his employment was not confined to the duties of a Surgeon General, but embraced a number of arduous duties far out of the like of that department." Let him then be allowed the emplumients[?] of Director General, which surely will cover the whole: to this I shall have no objection: but I cannot agree to a total departure from principle. Major Beddinger’s papers will be immediately delivered to teh Accountant. I am very respectfully Dear Sir Your Obt. Servt. (Signed) T. Pickering

General Henry Lee (True Copy)