War Depart. Feb^ry 11. Feb^ry 1799 20/p. Sir Lt. Gen. Washington having declined agreeably to the conditions upon which he accepted his appointment, any command whatever of the army of the U.S. untill such time as his presence in the field shall be required for actual Operations, or his services demanded by peculiar and urgent circumstances, it is therefore proper to make such arrangements respecting the distribution of the existing military authority as shall most conduce to the good of the service, is best adapted to our present situation, and to the Objects to which our force may eventually be applied. Before entering into particulars upon the principal subject at present contemplated it will be useful to enumerate the [strikethrough: stations] disposition of the Troops of the U.S. and the course hintofore taken to communicate with them. 1. There are on the Lakes. viz on Lake Ontario the garrisons of Oswego and Niagara: on Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair the garrisons of Presq Isle & Detroit: On Lake Huron at the entrance of the Straight leading to Lake Michigan the garrison of Michilimackinac. On the Miami River Fort Wayne; on the Ohio Fort Frankiini Fort Washington & Fort Malpae. 2. [There are] on the Missisippi garrisons at the Chickasaw Bluffs, Walnut Hills and Natchez or Loftus' Heights. 3 [There are] Several posts on the Creek frontier of the State of Georgia 4 [There are] Several posts on the Indian frontier of the State of Tennsee 5 [There are] Several garrisons on the sea board from Maine to Georgia Inclusive The first enumerated posts (except Oswego & Niagara) while General Wilkinson was at certain Stations in the North Western Territory, have communicated through him with the Department of war. The second do now communicate through Gen. Wilkinson who is on the Missisippi. The third through Lt. Colonel Butler. The fourth through Lt. Col. Gaither. The fifth through the medium of the commandants of the several garrisons. I have said that the first discribed garrisons communicated through Gen. Wilkinson while at certain Stations. For example, when the General was stationary at Pittsberg or Fort Washington on the Ohio, the whole of those garrisons above and below him, except Oswego & Niagara communicated directly with the General, and the General with the Secy. of War. Again. When the General held a position at Detroit all the garrisons between him and the seat of Government (though within his sphere of command) [communicated] directly with the Secretary of War. Oswego & Niagara being in all the aforesaid positions of the General too distant to enable him to give quick information respecting them, were always allowed to hold direct communications with the Dept. of war. A slight view of the map of the Country, over which the Troops are stationed, the distances between the garrisons; the route by which it is practicable for them to communicate with each other and with the seat of Government, added to a consideration of the serious inconveniences that we might have resulted, during the unsettled state of things which has existed for some time past generally on the frontiers, rendered our adherence to the rule of making no communications to any of them, unless [all] through the Commanding General, whatever might have been his position, dilatory beyond measure and too dangerous for practice at such a period. It has been deemed equally incon:sistent with situation, and dangerous to tranquility to make the General, who is now at Loftus's Heights on the Missisippi the organ by which the Department of war should communicate with the garrisons and troops on the sea board and frontiers of Georgia and Tennessee. The still greater inconvenience common to an Indian frontier, such as that of Georgia and Tennessee, rendered it indispensable to the true reception of communications that there should as much as possible be, uninterrupted, and to obtain the earliest information of any circumstances that might have direct military operations or cause unusual occurrences, if not to prevent them. A rapid communication might at all times take place, the frontiers of Georgia and Tennessee have been formed into two districts, and the commandant of the military force within each made the organ of communication for his respective district. Two of the fortifications on the sea board having been garrisoned before the law, raised for raising a second Regiment or Corps of Artillerists and Engineers than, garrisons have been permitted to correspond directly with the Secretary of War. I have seen in the project of regulations which I sketched some time since, and which was put into the hands of General Washington, that I contemplated to arrange in separate districts the force and posts on the sea board as well as on the Western frontiers, [to give to each a distinct Commandant] and to combine as many of them as could be [united], with convenience to the Service, under the general superintendance of the then General in Chief. This part of the regulations, had for its basis the French ordinances relative to the same subject, was intended to introduce more order and a more vigilant superintendance of our military affairs, and abridge as far as consistent with the common interest the epistolary labours of the Department. The execution of this project met with some obstructions and has been procrastinated by causes which it is deemed unnecessary to relate. While the ideas presented to you exhibit the difficulties, that would attend the imposing upon any General Officer, the entire correspondence with the army, unless indeed he was to be abstracted wholly from the troops, and to reside constantly at the seat of government, they point nevertheless to the practicality of dividing the army into subordinate commands, and of placing a certain number of such commands, agreeably to the sketch just mentioned under the controul and superintendance of distinct Officers. The President of the U.S. has accordingly directed me to make such an arrangement for our military force as may correspond with our situation, and to assign to the Major Generals, who are to command it, the superintendance of such portions thereof, as may best lend to promote military discipline, the general interests of the service, and the objects of the military establishment. You will therefore be pleased, until otherwise instructed, to consider yourself invested with the entire command of all the Troops & garrisons that are or may be within the States of Virginia, N. Carolina, S. Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky & Tennessee. You will as an organ of communication between you and the garrisons within the States of South Carolina & Georgia, direct, if you judge it proper, Brigadier General Washington to [take] a [lake] position the best calculated to give him an opportunity to extend a vigilant superintendance over the Troops and garrisons that may be assigned him, and a facile and prompt communication with both them and you. You will also establish, if it can be arranged to advantage other [strikethrough: subordinate] commandants of subdivisions, to receive your orders & communicate with you. In deciding upon those arrangements you will be particularly careful, that they do not occasion inconvenient delays in the Transmission of information to the seat of Government or throw obstructions in the way of immediate succour being given to the most remote garrisons or posts in cases of urgency; and will direct the Officers you may charge with the superintendance of each subdivision to transmit their letters to you open, & through the Secy. of war whenever, from your position, such a process will ensure earlier notice of the situation of things to government in their respective subdivisions, than if they were to be received by you in the first instance. By this arrangement it will be in the power of the Secy. of war to give orders in emergencies which can be communicated afterwards to you, for your future government. You will no doubt as soon as practicable establish your own Head Quarters in a position the most favorable to a [direct] and prompt communication with the several subdivisions, [of your command], and with this department, and a vigilant & pointed superintendance of the Troops [placed under] garrisons [assigned to your charge]. I shall cause to be annexed to this letter, a schedule shewing the [specific] Troops and garrisons at present within your command, and a list of the Officers on the old and new establishment classed according to their respective Regiments or Corps with the date of their Commissions. Major General Hamilton has been instructed to take the command of all the Troops and Garrisons on the Northern Lakes in the North Western Territory, including both Banks of the Ohio and on the Missisippi, as well as [all] the Troops and posts which are or may be within the State of Maryland and all the States to the Northward & Eastward thereof. The Recruiting Service being particularly connected with the duties of Inspector General, the sole direction of this business has been assigned to Maj Gen Hamilton. You will therefore receive directly from him such preliminary instructions as [in his opinion] may tend to facilitate this service, as well as all ulterior orders necessary to enable you to give to it the utmost activity throughout the extent of your command and will [on] this [relative] communicate directly with [him on] this object. Having taken the opinion of General Washington when called to the seat of Government, as it respects the disposition of the Military force of the United States it is thought adviseable that opinion should be adopted until a change of circumstances shall render a different disposition proper. According to this opinion he does not [concur] think it adviseable to withdraw any of the force at present on the North Western and Southern frontiers to the Atlantic frontiers. On the contrary, he advises, that the western army be reinforced with the companies directed to be added to the Regiments of the old establishment. As to the [disposition of the] Troops to be raised. The General observed that though it might now be premature to fix a permanent [disposition] of these Troops, it might nevertheless be useful * to indicate certain Stations where they may be assembled provisionally, and may probably be suffered to continue while matters remain in the present posture. The stations eligible in this view may be found for two Regiments in the vicinity of Providence River, near [underline: Uxbridge]; for two Other Regiments in the vicinity of Brunswick in New Jersey; for two Other Regiments in the vicinity of Potomac near Harpers ferry; for two Other Regiments in the vicinity of Augusta, but above the falls of the Savannah. This disposition the General observed, will unite considerations relative to the discipline and health of the Troops, and to the œconomical supply of their wants. It will also have some military aspects; in the first instance towards the security of Boston & New Port; in the second towards that of New York and Philadelphia; in the third and fourth, towards that of Baltimore, Charlestown, Savannah, and the Southern States generally; and in the third particularly, towards the reinforcement of the Western Army in certain events. But he subjoined, very justly, the military motives for this disposition, can have only a qualified influence; since it is not doubted, that in the prospect of a serious attack upon this Country, the disposition of the army ought to look emphatically to the Southern region, as that which is by far most likely to be the scene of Action. As to the Artillery. It is proposed, to assign a complete battalion to the Western army; to the fortifications at Boston one company; to those at New York two companies; to those at New Port two companies; to those at West Point one; to those at mud Island two; to those at Baltimore one; to those at Norfolk two; to those on Cape Fear River one; to those at Charlestown two; to those at Savannah one; to those at the mouths of St. Marys one; that the remaining two Battalions had better be reserved for the Army in the field, and that during the winter they may retain the stations they now occupy; but that as soon as they can conveniently go into tents, it will be adviseable to assemble them, at some central or nearly central point, there to be put in a course of regular Instruction, together with successive Detachments of the Officers & Non-commissioned Officers of the sea board garrisons until their services shall be actually required. As far as it depends upon you, it is expected you will give effect to the aforesaid disposition of the Troops now within or that may be within the sphere of your command; and [that] you [also] so arrange the companies of artillery in particular, that those belonging to the same regiment or corps may form contiguous garrisons. In making this disposition you will keep in view a [company] command for a small fortification or defence which it is contemplated to erect on Bacon Island Deacock North Carolina. This post may possibly require a Company. Since coming into Office, I have directed my attention in a particular manner to the Indian frontiers, and happily have been successful in preserving to them a degree of tranquility, almost perhaps unexampled during any preceding period of time under our present government. It is of consequence, as well with regard to economy as [other] considerations of a national nature, to continue this state of things to the union, and to persevere in the two fold object of guarding the Indian Lands from being illegally settled, and to protect the [Indian] industrious frontier inhabitant from [these] thieving and predatory incursions. [relative to this subject] It will be enough to acquaint you generally with the [principles] which have governed in the establishment of the posts on the two Indian frontiers included in your command. For this purpose I have annexed the following [letters] papers. 1. Copies of letters to Lt. Col. Henry Gaither dated the 23^rd of August, 12^th and 20^th of October, 22^nd of November 1796. and 25^th of September 1798 and 10^th of February 1799. 2. Copy of a letter to the Governor of Georgia dated the 25^th of September 1798. 3. Copies of letters to Lt. Colonel Butler dated the 12^th of May, 25^th and 28^th of July, 11^th of August, [undecipherable] and 29^th of September, 8^th and 13^th of [October], 3^rd of November [undecipherable] and 23^rd of March 1798. You will perceive by the letter to Colonel Gaither under date of Febry 10^th instant, that his [Command] [district] command requires immediate attention; that a spirit of mutinee and insubordination has discovered itself among his Officers, which it is indispensable to subdue; and that no time ought to be lost in sending an Officer of higher rank, if practicable, to investigate the actual state of [things] [order] on that frontier district and under his command, and to take such measures as are necessary, as consists with the laws of the army and the good of the service. I need not urge upon you, to exercise the most vigilant superintendance over every branch of the service [within] the sphere of your command. I cannot avoid however calling your particular attention to the discovery of the causes which may induce irregularity in the police of the armies, in the field, and in our posts & garrisons under your command, and enjoin that every legal and proper step be resorted to, which the laws or the usages of armies authorise on such occasions, to punish offenders and produce a salutary result. It is expected that you will neglect no means of obliging, at the stated periods, the proper Officers to make all returns requisite, to exhibit the number and state of the Troops in every position, to forward their muster and pay rolls, returns of the quantity of cloathing delivered on hand or due to the Soldiers, of the distribution generally of the public property, of the quantity and situation of every article in store, of the supplies which are or may be wanted, and every other exhibit and return necessary to the information of the Secretary of War, and indispensable to the accounting Officers of the War Department. You know precisely how much the regularity and perfection of such returns depend on the disposition of Officers to execute faithfully their orders, and that savings to the public, or a judicious and well regulated œconomy, is rather more to be expected from the integrity, vigilance and knowledge of those who are intrusted or have a controul over the army expenditures and property, than from the wisest general instructions that can possibly be devised. Whenever there is found a deficiency of secure deposits for, or a want of requisite qualities in the Officer charged with the care and management of the public property, it is expected you will remedy the case if within your lawful powers or point to the circumstances, that it may be considered by the authority competent to the remedy. Finally I cannot conclude these instructions without expressing my most unlimited confidence in your talents to execute the high trusts which the President reposes in you, and my own most perfect reliance upon your co-operation and assistance, in every thing and that I shall at all times recognise in the execution of the orders which you may receive the most perfect evidence of your candour and friendship. I have the honour to be with great regard and esteem Sir Your most obed^t. [undecipherable] Major Gen^d Charles Cotesworth Pinckney