Contemporary Copy of Letter

Recruiting and Enlisting Soldiers, Etc.

Pickering discusses recruiting and reelnisting soldiers and mentions the conduct of Indian agents and Wayne's Campaign.

1795

04

25

War Office

Cited in Wayne to Pickering, 06/17/1795.

Cited document sent from the War Office

Anthony Wayne

Timothy Pickering

Mr. Howell

Captain DeButts

Captain Reid

the Cherokees

Burke

McKee

Colonel O'Hara

George McDougall of Detroit

Alexander McComb

Isaac Williams

the President [Washington]

Ensign Edwin Harris

the Accountant

Paymaster General

frontier inhabitants

immediate officers of the crown in Canada

Indian Agents

Indians

raw recruits

soldiers

War Office

Scotia

Canada

Detroit

New York

Virginia

the Ohio

Wheeling

Head Quarters

money to pay the troops and enlist recruits

subject of reenlisting old soldiers

money on hand

recruiting service

depredations

political considerations

existing circumstances between Great Britain and the United States

conduct of the high priest

the quantity of Indian Goods

expected Indian Treaty

explicit renewal of your powers to negotiate a peace with the hostile Indians

form of a treaty

observations relative to the treaty

anxiety

state of the region

greater force indispensable

moderate doceur

expenses

mounted militia

value of old soldiers

expediency of re-enlisting

present engagements

military establishment

ice in the Ohio

appointment

conveyance from Wheeling

superior value

Legion

1795042500101

3

Copy of a letter from the Secretary of War to Major General Wayne. dated 25 April 1795. No. 7 [stamped: Presented by J. Pierpont Morgan Todd Collection] Treaty
No. 7 32
War Office April 25 1795
Sir
Yesterday by the post I received your letter dated the 8 of March, by which it does not appear that you had then received any letter from me since my appointment to this department, I suppose the ice in the Ohio prevented any conveyance from Wheeling.
My first letter was dated the 19th January concerning Ensign Edwin Harris who was the Bearer of it. The next was numbered 1 by post and dated January 31st inclosing the acts of Congress increasing the pay of the non-commissioned officers and privates and doubling the bounty of recruits which led me to hope that you by such encouragement might be able to retain most of the old Soldiers.
No 2 dated March 14th covering the act of Congress for continuing the military establishment of the United States and acknowledged the receipt of your letters of January 24th and 25th.
No 3 dated April [4} acknowledged the Receipt of your letters of February 12 and 13
No. 4 dated April 8 and [illegible] relative to the expected Indian treaty accompanied with an explicit renewal of your powers to negociate a peace with the hostile Indians and the form of a treaty
No. 5 dated April 15th noting the receipt of all your letters from December 14th to February 15th inclusively and containing some further observations relatively to the treaty with the Indians. In this also I suggested an idea, which your anxiety manifested in your letter of March 8th
induces me to repeat referring to the State of the legion as it might be at the time of the treaty I said "A thought now occurs to me which I will hint for your consideration. That should events render a greater force indispensable you may possibly prevail on a competent number of the old Soldiers to continue in service till Autumn. A moderate douceur might effect this and almost any expence to retain old soldiers would be cheaper as well as incomparably more beneficial in its effects than the calling the militia into service especially mounted militia.
You see my idea of the value of the old Soldiers accord with your own expressed in your letter of the 8 March and I am hence led to concur in your opinion of the expediency of reenlisting them before their present engagements expire seeing there will as you suggest be little or no chance of enlisting them after that period. Besides the incomparably superior value of old Soldiers it is to be considered that much more time will be absolutely thrown away on raw recruits enlisted in the Country for on an average I do not suppose They do not reach the legion under three or four, and often Six Months after they are enlisted and after that they are to be formed into Soldiers - I ventured freely the opinion now expressed (the President being in Virginia) and am writing to share in the responsibility for a measure so manifestly promoting the interests of the United States
In my letter of the 15 of this month you will see that the quantity of Indian good proposed to be provided equalled the estimate of Colonel O Hara which was inclosed in your letter of the 8 Ultimo they will be provided and forwarded with all possible dispatch.
Among other enclosures you mention a letter from a Mr. George McDougall of Detroit to Alexander McComb Esq in
in New York but I found only one letter from McDougall to Isaac Williams.
No mischiefs that can be plotted by McKee and other Indian Agents will suprize me but under the existing circumstances between Great Britain and the United States it is scarcely credible that the conduct of the Irish Priest Burke can be authorized by the immediate officers of the Crown in Canada.
I hope earnestly that your message by Captain Reed to the Cherokees on Sciota may be effectual to check their depredations as well in mercy to the frontier inhabitants as for the political considerations you refer to.
My letters of the 8, 14th and 15th instant were sent by Capt. DeButts who I trust will expeditiously arrive at HeadQuarters. He took money to pay the troops and enlist recruits when I first wrote to you on the subject of reinlisting the old Soldiers (January 31) it appeared from the information of the Accountant Mr. Howell that the paymaster general had money on hand which you could apply to the recruiting service until a fresh supply could be furnished from hence.
I am Sir with great esteem your humble servant
signed Timothy Pickering
Major General Wayne
Copy