[April 23 – 1799 To the President. Cadets. InP. 310 dc] War Department 23 Aprl. 1799 Sir. I had not time yesterday without losing the benefit of the mail, which you know closes at 12 o'clock A.M. to say any thing on the subject of Major Jacksons letter. I now take the liberty to observe, that the appointment of Mr. Pearson to be a cadet by Cap^t Gates, was altogether improper, and [strikethrough: undecipherable] [interlined: undecipherable] to draw pay for him, after my [undecipherable] to Major Jackson of the 27^th ulto. equally so. Cap^t Gates by his recruiting instructions, which he was bound to observe, had not even power to promise a recruit, that he should be appointed, upon joining his Regiment a non-commissioned officer; how then could he suppose, that he had power to appoint a cadet, an intermediary officer, between a sergeant and lieutenant, and an officer intitled to higher pay than a sergeant. The fact is, if Captains are to be permitted to play the parts of Presidents and Generals, every thing respecting the service must run into confusion. My letter to Major Jackson of which he sent you an extract, had in view, to check this practice, and at the same time to express [strikethrough: pretty strongly,] [interlined: to him,] that what had been done by Cap^t Gates, would be no otherwise countenanced than by considering Mr. Titcomb as a candidate, as soon as it would be proper to increase the number of cadets. [strikethrough: undecipherable] [strikethrough: undecipherable] After this answer, Major Jackson should have forborn [strikethrough: any] further interference, and had he a thousand times written to me upon the subject, had no right to conclude from my silence, that I had [strikethrough: agreed] [interlined: determined] to sanction what was so highly improper. It is your opinion that Mr. Titcomb is a promising young man. I have therefore [strikethrough: made] [interlined: directed] out a warrant for him as cadet in the 2^d Regiment of artillerists and engineers, dated the first of January ulto. and [strikethrough: directed] [interlined: shall transmit] the same to Maj^r Gen^l Hamilton, as the proper channel, to be forwarded to him. To avoid like mistakes in future I have [strikethrough: heretofore proposed to have] [interlined: undecipherable] had inserted in the recruiting instructions the following article. v. "Commandants of Regiments, corps or companies, cannot appoint cadets. They may be recommended through the commander in chief, the Inspector General, or General commanding a separate army, to the Secretary of war, and if approved of, warrants of appointment will issue in due form" with the greatest respect I have the honour to be Sir your most ob^t John Adams Esq