[Confidential & private,] Trenton 25 Aug. 1798 My dear [undecipherable] — I have not I believe acknowledged [strikethrough: I do not know that I have formally] directly [strikethrough: acknowledged] upon two letters of the 10^th and two others of the 13^th inst. altho I have substantially. The copy of a [strikethrough: long] letter to the President under date of the 8^th has detailed to you my projects [strikethrough: for divisions or from] [strikethrough: details prob] [strikethrough: dispatching] the districts within which I contemplated [strikethrough: passing] drawing the officers for certain proportions of the army [directed] to be immediately raised, &c &c — I have received no satisfactory answer from the President on any of those [strikethrough: matters] points, except what respects [strikethrough: the necessary] necessary to [undecipherable], [strikethrough: to the] yourself; and fear that there is [strikethrough: much] reason to apprehend em-barrassment and delay from a disposition on his part to leave the relative grade of three of the Major Generals,^{[undecipherable]} [strikethrough: allowed] so as that Knox shall be first and Hamilton last. I have reminded him of the grounds which induced him to offer a different arrangement [in a different order] of his [names?] to the Senate; suggested the consequences that might [strikethrough: attend] [flow from] an attempt at an alteration at this time, in their relative grade, and reasoned, that their relative grade in the revolutionary army (on [for reference?] [legally?] which [those rules?] cannot avail him, or be considered as giving him a legal claim to [strikethrough: [undecipherable] [undecipherable] over of] [preference of grade?] to men of [strikethrough: [undecipherable] [undecipherable]] in the formation of the [proposed] [present] army. What effect this may produce I cannot tell. But all this must have [strikethrough: [undecipherable]] an operation to postpone the appointment of the officers, [strikethrough: the] recruiting service, and every thing else connected with the service. [strikethrough: —] To be in a situation, however, to meet the [undecipherable] deliberations [strikethrough: [undecipherable]] either adverse or agreeable to my [conceptions?], I have directed the list of [those?] officers of the [new?] [stationary?] army for the Southern States, to be copied for [the?], as also the list of all the candidates from Virginia N. Carolina S. Carolina Georgia, Kentucky & Tenessee [to be further copied & forwarded] Which I shall send you as soon as copied with all the letters of recommenda- [respecting] tion [strikethrough: touching] the candidates. In the mean while will it not be proper, that you should turn your attention to the [call in such aid as you think competent to?] [advise?] subject, [strikethrough: and] amass as much information as possible respecting characters, and transmit [an] to me, [an] arranged list of officers for the four [be] regiments allotted to be officered [strikethrough: [undecipherable]] drawn [of] from the [southern?] sections? I shall endeavour also to make out similar lists for the middle and Eastern sections, so that [when?] [sufficient?] [undecipherable] to ready to present [out] to the President [out] as early as the moment he is ready to receive them and act upon them it becomes necessary [and] [Inclosed is a copy of a circular] you [To Gen. Hamilton] [strikethrough: Hamilton] [Letter sent?] to Gen. Knox — [Pickering? &] Dayton [&] relation to You will see by the inclosed copy of a [dated the 29^th July ulto.] letter which I addressed to Gen. [strikethrough: Hamilton?] Knox [Pinckney?] & Dayton one of the means I have employed to obtain a more [fullest] knowledge of the [strikethrough: fullest?] characters for officers for the [13 regiments?] You will also [likewise] procure by the [printed] inclosed recruiting instructions, that [almost?] [life?] [activity?] I can give instant [alacrity?] to the [from one end of the] recruiting service, [at?] a [complete?] union to the other as soon as [undecipherable] the President has made the appointments, [provided?] I can have [possess] cloathing to keep in readiness to distribute to the recruiting officers, and in sufficient quantity, to keep pace with the inlistments. The following is the [strikethrough: substance] outline [N?] 1^st [According to] the plan I have formed, 4 regiments [are] to be officered from the four [near?] Eastern States and raised within the said States. [Also to be] [a like number of regiments] [officered &] [Rest?] to be officered from the States of New York New Jersey Pennsylvania & Maryland and raised within the said States. [and a like number?] The remaining [2/6?] [Troops?] to be officered from the [U.S.] States of Virginia N. Carolina & South Carolina Georgia & Tenessee & Kentucky and raised within the said States. 2 The Officers [the appointments?] for the cavalry to be selected and [presented?] by the Lieut. Generals of the armies. 3^d. As soon as the [appointments] [are?] made for the 12 additional regiments [strikethrough: [undecipherable]] [and communicated?], I propose to furnish the Inspector General with a sufficient number of the recruiting [before mentioned] instructions, and to direct [them?] to fix upon the places within the Eastern middle & Southern sections for the several recruiting [officers?], determine upon the recruiting money [dead?] to be remitted to the [recruiting] [field?] officers of each district [and?] the [h]as the same may be recruited and [o]r whatever else may be necessary to give [undecipherable] to the [business of the?] [recruiting] service. With respect to cloathing, without which all the [strikethrough: [undecipherable]] the recruiting [process?] [ought not to?] [can?] neither commence [nor?] proceed — I propose taking the most immediate and efficacious measures to procure a full supply for the whole additional regular [troops?] ordered to be raised by Congress. [contemplated] I [propose?] [strikethrough: [undecipherable]] in like manner taking measures for a supply of tents and [field?] [equipment?] equipage to be ready for the ensuing [arrangement?] summer. I mean also to make [an?] [arrangement?] [a supply?] [strikethrough: [undecipherable]] [that you may?] [understand?] a [better?] [r]view of the state of our military stores I have directed the [Superintendant?] [of stores?] [strikethrough: [undecipherable]] to furnish you with a detailed account of the same including our [troops?] and field artillery [our?] muskets [gun-]powder &c. You need (notwithstanding [the above exhibit of our stores,] this may not be [to be?] quite correct) be able to afford me hints of any additions to them which ought [in your opinion] to be forthwith procured. The President desires me to inform [The President has not only] you, that he considers you in the public service [proper?] [that you should?] appoint [a?] from the date of your appointment, entitled to all the emoluments of it; [as?] that you are at liberty to [The date of? his appointment to? part?] receive all or any part at your discretion; and that but also [and?] you are [and?] you need you are fully authorised to appoint your aids and [Therefore be pleased?] to make any Secretaries, whom you shall think fit; and that [or all of?] [him?] [appointment to when?] one [aide?] at least is indispensable, immediately [and as soon as you may see?] and that he ought to be allowed his pay & rations [fodder?] [provides?]. You will be pleased therefore to make any or all of these appointments, when or as soon as you may judge proper. I must intreat I [pray?] you to excuse me for the [rapid?] manner in which I have given you [undecipherable] &c to enable me to correct them with [you,] [better?] lights [second?] opinion experience — Yours always always & affectionately Geo Washington [25 Aug. 1798] [Geo Washington Esq?] [29 — [undecipherable] to]