[Addressed to: The Hon^ble Major General Hamilton, New York; postal markings: Free; [postmark: 18 DE]; BOSTON; docket: [undecipherable] / Dec^r 16. 179[?] / Major [undecipherable]] [p 207] Boston Decemb. 17. 1799 Dear Sir I have been in great expectation of having the honor of a line from you, as you promised me that pleasure when I took my leave of you in Philadelphia but since I saw by the public papers that you had not left Phil^a at the time the President delivered his speech to both branches of the National Legislature, I felt perfectly satisfied. Since my return to Boston I have been a Inspecting and mustering the troops at Castle Island, by virtue of Orders received by Jonathan Jackson Esq^r Supervisor of this district, from the Secretary at War. I took upon myself to give forms as the Officers had held none for the Company Book; muster Roles, & Pay Roles: the book is like the large regimental books I left with you, the muster and Pay rolls are such as were used in the Army at its Revolution, and very fortunately I have here all the Orderly Books, muster and pay rolls Journals &c and a vast number of military books and papers that I had at the close of the war. [This Inspection and muster induced me to write this letter, to give you my Ideas respecting recruiting. This company has upwards of fifty men (including Non Commissioned Officers and musick) and I can assure you some of them are as likely men as I ever saw and a great proportion of them are young men from twenty to twenty five years of age. He last informed me that he had received information from a lieu^t of his corps who is now recruiting at Vermont, that he had recruited ninety men and that in the course of a week or two he expected them — at Castle Island, these men must be all natives of our own country — Hence it is, that the most advantagious [undecipherable] for recruiting men in New England is from November to April, because it is a custom with the yeomanry of New England to engage their hired men for six or eight months from the first of March or April, and from that time to late in the Autumn they are busily employed upon their farms and do not go abroad. The troops here are in great want of many necessaries. They want to be systemized. There is no regular commissary, nor no Quarter Master. The Officers, not where to apply for any thing but to the butcher who very often supplies them with articles totally out of his line; and a man may rest assured that it could be made to appear, that the United States will pay fifty [p] Cent more for the supplies of the troops in this [undecipherable] — and what will [undecipherable] in all probabilities for the want of some [undecipherable] person to act in the different capacities necessarily required. I hope soon to have the honor of a line from you with [undecipherable] pleasing information — With great respect I have the honor to be Your most Obedient humble Serv^t [undecipherable] [The Hon^ble Major General Hamilton &c &c &c]