The Business of Procuring and Issuing Supplies
Document 1799Hamilton provides a detailed explanation of the process for procuring and issuing supplies and paying the troops. The general theme is that the decisions at the unit level should be made by supply and pay specialists and not by commanders whose valuable time should not be wasted on details of this nature.
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Type
Autograph Draft Document
Description
Hamilton provides a detailed explanation of the process for procuring and issuing supplies and paying the troops. The general theme is that the decisions at the unit level should be made by supply and pay specialists and not by commanders whose valuable time should not be wasted on details of this nature.
Date
09/16/1799
Author
Recipient
Sent from
New York
Collection
Document number
1799091640000
Note
Cited McHenry to Hamilton, 09/18/1799 and McHenry to Hamilton, 09/20/1799.
Notable persons
James McHenry
Alexander Hamilton
Quartermaster General's department
medical establishment
Pay Office
Paymaster General [Caleb Swan]
he has no deputy either at my headquarters or at that of General Pinckney
Secretary of War [McHenry]
Commander in Chief [Washington]
agents who are conversant in the various branches of supply
Purveyor of Supplies
Master of Ordnance
Deputy Paymaster General
Notable locations
New York
Notable items
past plan has been productive of imperfect results
provisions have been made too much on the spur of the occasion...rejecting the idea of a surplus for future casualties and exigencies
immaturity of our institutions
want of a proper organization of agents in the various branches
appointment of the Chiefs requires the consent of the Senate
no Commanding General can perform well his peculiar duties as his time and attention must be engrossed in details foreign to his station
clothing wanted for his troops
artillery
muskets
sufficient quantities constantly ready in the public arsenals and magazines
reqjuisitions ought to come from the chiefs of the branches of supply
check upon extravagant demands
transportation
forage
subject of pay
money for the purpose of paying...must still be delivered by the Tresurer to the Paymaster General
regular chain of accountability
appoint without delay one Deputy to the troops under the command of General PInckney [and] another to those under my command