[Extract from Gen^l. to the Sec^y. W[ar]— 4 Jany 98.] (23) Gen^l. Wilkinson to Sec^y. War. Jan^y. 4. 1798. (Extract from his letter) Sec^y. War to Gen^l. Wilkinson 23 Feb. 1798. (Extract from his letter) [It is informed that the Sec^y of War designs the publication of an Essay, a regulation for the Army — of Gen^l. [undecipherable] — [undecipherable] the Sec^y. War, [undecipherable] of the publication, [undecipherable] to prevent same being in print. Can be heard expressed — The Sec^y. deems [undecipherable] of [undecipherable] [undecipherable], I [undecipherable] ample [undecipherable] within [undecipherable] to [undecipherable] in that matter [undecipherable] action of [undecipherable]] Extract from Gen^l. Wilkinson to the Sec^y. of War. Jan^y. 4. 1798. "By the next mail I will give you my candid opinion of some Essay for the Government of the Infantry & artillery, and in [strikethrough: [undecipherable]] it becomes my duty to yourself, to the Army & to the President to intreat you to forbear the publication of it, as it will if carried into Effect, bring a speedy destruction upon the subordination & discipline of the Troops" Extract from the Sec^y. of War to Gen^l. Wilkinson Feb^y. 25. 1798. "as it would be wholly out of my power to [undecipherable: probable reading 'devote'] a single moment of my time to a consideration of the regulations on any [undecipherable] the present [undecipherable: probable reading 'Session'] of [undecipherable: probable reading 'Congress'] is [undecipherable: probable reading 'closed'], it would be unavailing for you to [undecipherable: probable reading 'trouble'] yourself to the trouble of a Journey to Philadelphia for the purpose of explaining to me verbally your [undecipherable: probable reading 'particular'] exceptions and the ground upon which they rest. I request that you will take your own time to do this and commit them to writing as the [undecipherable: probable reading 'mode'] which will best enable me to judge of them at [undecipherable: probable reading 'leisure'] & to advantage — It is my anxious wish that they should be as free from [undecipherable: probable reading 'obscure'] terms as [undecipherable: probable reading 'practicable'], and should define with precision & clearness, the [undecipherable: probable reading 'exact'] outlines at least of every Officer's duty and should leave nothing vague or uncertain respecting [undecipherable: probable reading 'either'] the manual exercise & field movements, [undecipherable: probable reading 'that'] is susceptible of fixed regulations, and that the [undecipherable: probable reading 'details'] as they ought should have the Presidential stamp and emanate from his Authority — Such being the objects contemplated it is not my intention to hurry the work as I have suggested to [undecipherable] out [undecipherable] it in any form whatever before the President till I have collected & weighed all the information from persons at home & abroad relative to the subject. I expect in the autumn of the present year to receive from Europe a body of french regulations under the royal government comprising the police of their army in the field and garrison and the British regulations promulgated by the King's Authority in 1792 for their Army, as well as some other publications from which I hope to derive considerable aid, and till then I do not mean to proceed further in the undertaking. —"