[bg 107 Military] East Chester may 3^d. 1799. Major General Hamilton Sir. I have been honoured with your letter of the first of may, having always understood that Capt Church tho honoured by the appointment of being your Aid DeCamp intended, with your permission to recruit his Company; I mentioned to him, when in Town last, that the money & recruiting instructions, were ready for him, when it was convenient for you to spare him, & for himself to proceed; I have however no particular wish that he should perform this duty, unless it should be pointedly agreable to you, as I conclude you cannot at present spare him; I take the liberty of requesting your influence with the War-Office that the 6^th Section of the act for the better organizing of the Troops of the United States, be executed as promptly as possible, relative to the 12^th Reg^t, particularly as Capt Church's Company at present will have only the 1^st Lieut to perform the requisite service; not having the pleasure of a personal acquaintance with L^t Schuyler, I am not competent to decide, whether he is individually, fully equal to discharge of this duty, — the precarious State of p[oo]r Duess health, and the apparent indisposition of his [undecipherable] 2^d Lieutenants, forbids his being ordered to Albany immediately — the Situation of Cap^t [undecipherable]'s Company also requires attention, the 1^st L^t is the pay master of the Regiment and the 2^d as I am informed, never intended nor has not accepted his appointment, there is a vacancy also in Cap^t Courtlands and Cap^t White's Companies, by the appointment of L^t Cope & L^t Ludlow to the duties of Adjutant and Q^r Master of the Regiment, the only extra duty, that one contemplate requiring of these Gentlemen in the first instance is aiding the Major of the first Battalion, in forming the recruits when they arrive from their respective Company Rendezvous at the Rendezvous N^o. 1 under the Superintendence of Major Wilcocks, all these cases require immediate relief under 6^th Sect of the act before alluded to, & I Ha[ve] [undecipherable] will not be unattended to by the Secretary of War if you will do us the favour, of communicating the state of these Companies — I shall give the necessary directions to the Contractor, and point out such other places, connected with the Rendezvous you have marked, as appears to me of service for the good of the service, that provisions should be deposited, subject always to your approbation. I have the honor to be, Sir. your most Ob^d't Humble Ser^t. W. S. Smith [Col Smith / May 3. 1799 / Officers [undecipherable] / approved] Major General Hamilton New York