[Page illegible] New York March 23. 1799 Sir Your letter of the 21.^st instant came to hand by the post of to day. There are four points on which [undecipherable] respectively the recruiting Service, demand [undecipherable] attention — " 1 The [underline: Stations] of the recruiting rendezvous on the various in each State where it will be proper to procure rations and send the Cloathes. My letter of the 19^th designates these Stations in [strikethrough: two of the] States, in which it is proposed immediately to commence the recruiting Service. [strikethrough: [undecipherable]] the particular [undecipherable] indicated as the rendezvous of each [sub] district is intended [strikethrough: for a Regiment] the Station in these [sub-]districts. But the Cloathes will best be [strikethrough: [undecipherable]] together to one point, where it can be received [strikethrough: and] [strikethrough: [undecipherable]] by the [undecipherable] [the] Regiment and thence [strikethrough: [undecipherable]] forwarded [strikethrough: [undecipherable]] to the several [undecipherable] — This route is very much to order. " 2 The [undecipherable] of Cloathes to be sent to each rendezvous. [strikethrough: The] same letter [strikethrough: to be] is [strikethrough: [undecipherable]] accompanied by a return for that purpose [strikethrough: [undecipherable]] [undecipherable] the above mentioned Agency of the Regiment — [undecipherable] Quarter Master for the distribution among the several rendezvous " 3 The Officers for Regiment — and Pay Masters — I Shall immediately write to the respective commandants of Regiments to cause nominations to be made in the mode practiced during the Revolution War, which is likely to be the most satisfactory — [undecipherable] to them however that these nominations will only be considered as recommendations[.] I Shall at the same times desire them to designate by way of recommendation Quarter Masters & Adjutants — 4 The numbers of the Regiments. In settling these, which I extend to the whole [strikethrough: [undecipherable]] System, I have been governed by geographical ideas — according to the order which was applied last war, when the army faced the Sea board. I thought [strikethrough: this] this rule as good as any other, as [undecipherable] [haste to anticipate — ] The result is that the two Regiments to be raised in Georgia, the [strikethrough: two] Carolinas, Tenesse & Kentucke will be numbered 5 & 6. And it is now proposed that the following Regiments be thus numbered; (having reference to the arrangement proposed by the General Officer and submitted in Schedule A transmitted with your letter [strikethrough: [undecipherable]] (no.) That of which William Bently is Lt. Col commandant to be N^o 7. That of which Thomas Parker is Lt^a Commandant N^o 8. That of which [strikethrough: [undecipherable]] [undecipherable] G. Hall is Lieutenant Col Commandant N^o 9. That of which Thomas [undecipherable] is [undecipherable] commandant N^o 10. — That of which Aaron Ogden is Lt. Col Commandant N^o 11. That of which William S Smith is Lt. Col Commandant N^o 12. That of which [undecipherable] Taylor (Connecticut) is Lt Col Commandant N^o 13. That of which N. Rece is Lt Col Commandant N^o 14. — That of which [strikethrough: [undecipherable]] [undecipherable] Hunnewell is Lt. Col Commandant N^o 15. That [undecipherable] [strikethrough: to comprehend the [undecipherable]] to be raised in N. Hampshire Vermont & Rhode Island — N^o 1[6?] — [strikethrough: [undecipherable]] If this arrangement [strikethrough: [undecipherable]] by you, it is desirable that I should be speedily enabled to appoint the respective commandants [undecipherable]. You have not rightly apprehended the suggestion of an indiscriminate enlistment, for "the army at large." It was [strikethrough: [undecipherable]] intended that in [strikethrough: [undecipherable]] fact the troops enlisted by the Officers of each Corps Should constitute that corps; which avoids all the — [undecipherable] you mention. But that the legal tenor of the engagement, as expressed in the oath or otherwise, [strikethrough: should] be to serve in the infantry or in the Artillery or in the cavalry of the Ustates; there to have no question that the men may be transferred from one Regiment to another, that payments of different regiments may be incorporated into one — [undecipherable]; where in the course of service are frequently necessary, and of the right to do which, there may be doubt if the [strikethrough: [undecipherable]] enlistment is more specific in its terms. [strikethrough: [undecipherable]] I think it [strikethrough: [undecipherable]] that the Adjutant General Should be called into [service?]