Letter Signed

Clarifying the Superintendance of General Wilkinson's Brigade, Etc.

Washington advises that all of General Wilkinson's brigade should be under Hamilton's command so as to avoid inconvenience and confusion in the chain of command. He fears that the best time for recruiting may have already passed since potential recruits will have already undertaken other avocations by the time the Spring season has arrived.

1799

02

25

Mount Vernon

Includes a postscript;

Alexander Hamilton

George Washington

Major General [Charles Cotesworth] Pinckney

Secretary of War [McHenry]

General [James] Wilkinson

Major [John Jacob] Rivardi

War Office

Mount Vernon

Philadelphia

Kentucky

Tennessee

Niagara

respective districts of superintendence

whole of General Wilkinson's brigade

great inconvenience

confusion

recruiting business

delay

favorable season

Spring

avocations

returns of troops and stores

receipt

1799022590001

George Washington
Feb 25. 1799
[in another hand:] p. 195 205
Mount Vernon, Feby 25.th 1799 [in another hand:] 212
[in another hand:] (88)
Sir,
I have been duly favoured with your letter of the 15th. instant.
When the disposition was contemplated for assigning to Major General Pinckney and to yourself your respective districts of superintendence, I was of opinion (as you will see by the enclosed copy of a letter which I wrote to the Secretary of War on my way from Philadelphia to this place) that the whole of General Wilkinson's Brigate should be considered as under your immediate direction; because, if a part of it which is, or may be stationed within States of Kentuckey and Tennessee, should be under the Superintendence of General Pinckney, and the other part under your's, it might occasion great inconvenience, and perhaps confusion, for General Wilkinson to have to communicate sometimes with one of the Main Generals and sometimes with the otehr. This I conceive, will
still
[in another hand:] 213 still be the case, if the disposition, which mention to have been communicated by the Secretary of War, should continue. I am therefore yet decidedly of opinion, that the whole of General Wilkinson's Brigade should be under your superintendence.]
If it be determined to pursue the Recruiting business at all, I regret extremely that there should have been so much delay in it; for the favourable Season is passing off every day, and when the Spring opens, great numbers of those who would readily inlist now, will be then engaged in other avocations, and we shall lose the precious moment.
I shall hope to be regularly advised of every occurence which takes place in your military Arrangement that you may think essential to communicate.
With very great respect,
I am Sir,
Your most Obed.t Serv.t
G.o Washington

Major General Hamilton
P.S. I enclose herewith Returns of Troops, Stores &c at Niagara, which have been forwarded to me by Major Rivardi -- and shall, in acknowledging the receipt of them, desire that the Returns in future may pass through you to the War Office.