Answers 1^st Of the bills pending in Congress for augmenting the present forces of the U.S. should they pass into a Law, it becomes the duty of the President to carry them into execution promptly — by commissioning such officers as are necessary for the purpose of recruiting, inspecting, and the recruiting, superintending their discipline &c., at the same time filling up the vacancies must be appointed without delay. The necessity of appointing the higher grades is not so urgent; but in my opinion the sooner these are also fixed on, and their acceptances known the better — Not however to be called out, nor to receive the pay and emoluments of office until their services are required, which circumstances must decide. 2^o. It would be inexpedient, I conceive, to appoint but very proper to fix, upon the General & Field officers (Colonels commanding at least) for the Provisional army without much delay; and know whether they would accept the appointments that are announced to them. — To proceed further might excite alarm and give rise to remarks which would be more than a counterpoise to the facility contemplated to be answered by it. 3^d. If two things could be combined and the [undecipherable] thereof [undecipherable: partly] ascertained, the measures would certainly be advantageous. These are, that the Field Officers should be composed of proper & fit men and — acceptable to the companies; but if both cannot be attained, the first is most important and ought to be preferred 14 July 1798 G Washington [Marginalia written vertically on right margin of second page: Subjects submitted to]