Autograph Draft

Plan for the Providing and Issuring of Military Supplies

Delineates responsibilities to provide and issue supplies. The Purveyor is responsible to procure supplies and to assign contracts. The Superintendent of Military Stores shall issue all supplies. Each should assign a deputy to each army to procure and issue supplies for that army. Refers to different departments and their responsibilities. Outlines duties for the Inspector General and deputy inspector general, as well as for the Paymaster General, regional paymasters, and deputies, and the Quartermaster and regimental quartermasters and deupties. Each Brigade should have a commissary of forage. Outlines payment procedures. All documents must be countersigned by the appropriate authority.

1799

04

08

New York

A draft copy of (04/08/1799) letter from Hamilton to McHenry.

Alexander Hamilton

James McHenry

Purveyor

Superintendent of Military Stores

Quartermaster General

Clerks

Deputies

Inspector General

Paymaster General

Brigade Officers

New York

Treasury Department

War Department

Department of Quartermaster General

Department of Commissary of Provisions

Department of Commissary of Military Stores

Supplies

Clothing

Receipts

Contracts

Transportation

Medicine

Monies

Vouchers

Accounts

Pay

Bounty

Estimates

1799040840102

1

4

copied
Vol. 7, US.63, 74 63
Plan for the providing and issuing of Military Supplies -
The Business of providing shall constitute one distinct branch of service. That of issuing another,
The Purveyor shall be charged with the procuring of all supplies, except those for which contracts are made directly by the Chiefs of the Treasury or War Departments.
The Superintendent of Military Stores shall superintend the issues of all supplies.
The Purveyor shall have near him three assistants, by whatsoever denominations, one in relation to the supplies which according to past practice fall within the Department of Quartermaster General, including the means of Transportation - another in relation to the supplies, which according to past practice fall within the Department of Commissary of Provisions, with the addition of medical and hospitalsupplies stores - a third in relation to the supplies which according to past practice fall within the Department of Commissary of Military Stores, with the addition of Cloathing. The person who now resides at the seat of Government in Quality of Quarter Master General may perform the Duty of the first mentioned assistant.
The Superintendent of Military Stores shall have near him three principal Clerks, each of whom particularly to Superintend the issues in one of the above mentioned branches aided by as many stores-keepers as may be necessary.
The Purveyor shall have with each army a Deputy, to be charged with the procuring of all supplies necessary to be procured with the army.
The Superintendent shall have with each Army a Deputy who shall ^have under him three assistants one to ^ superintend the issues of Quartermasters Stores. Another, who shall to Superintend the issue of Provisions, another who shall a third to superintend the
the issues of other Military Stores and Cloathing.
The Purveyor & his Deputies shall deliver over all they provide to the Superintendant and his Deputies; The actual custody and issuing of articles to be with the store keepers pursuant to the written orders of the Superintendant and his Deputies.
The Quarter Master General with the Main Army, and the Deputy Quarter Master General with each separate Army, shall have the superintendance of the Deputies of the Purveyor, with the respective Armies, to Sir that they do this duty according to their instructions from the heads of their respective Branches, and the order of the Commander of the Army.
The Inspector General with the Main Army & the Deputy Inspector General with each separate Army shall have a like charge of the Deputies of the Superintenant of Military Stores.
These officers to serve as Checks upon the respective Deputies, & points of union between the Military and civil authorities.
The Paymaster General shall reside at the seat of Government and be the fountain of all issues of Money for the pay, bounty &c of the troops. We shall have a Deputy with each Army who shall be charged with the issuing of all monies to the Regimental Paymasters.
The Quartermaster of each Division shall be charged with the procuring of all supplies, which may be occasionally necessary for such Division, in addition to the general supplies.
The Quartermaster of each Brigade shall be charged with the like Duty when the Brigade is detached only, and always with the Superintendance of the issues for such Brigade, and consequently with the Direction of all Brigade Officers having the custody of supplies.
Each Brigade shall have a commissary of Forage, and another of Provisions to be charged respectively with the issues of those articles.
The Regimental Quarter Master shall receive and issue all supplies for the regiment, except of money & cloathing.
The Regimental Paymater shall receive and issue all supplies of money and cloathing for the Regiments.
The Regimental Paymaster shall issue monies for the recruiting service to the company officers charged with that service pursuant to warrants from the commanding Officer of the Regiments taking from each or from the superintending officer, of the recruiting service for such regiments taking from each an accountable receipt.
Whenever it is practicable he will himself pay the Officers, non commissioned officers, and privates of his regiment individually. When by reason of distant detachments this cannot be done, he will deliver the money to the Officers commanding companies, or to the Officers commanding parts of companies at stations too distant for the agency of the commanders of companies, taking from each an accountable receipt. The money must in each case be paid and issued pursuant to pay rolls signed by such commanding officers, and wherever it is practicable accompanied by warrants of the commanding officers of Regiments, or of battalions when detached.
For all monies, which shall be issued to Officers to be disbursed by them, they shall account monthly with the Regimental Paymaster, producing to him the requisite vouchers: upon every such accounting he shall give a certificate of the substance thereof to the officer with whom such accounting shall be, specifiying therein the vouchers which shall have been produced and left with him. This accounting shall be provisional only, and liable to the revision and controul of the proper Officer of the War Departments to whom the accounts and vouchers must be forwarded.
The same regulations as nearly as the subject will [illegible] shall be observed in respect to the issuing of Cloathing
and other articles (provisions excepted,) which shall be issued to the non commissioned officers and soldiers in respect to the accounting for the same.
Every Receipt for pay, bounty, or other matter from a non commissioned officer, or private who cannot write, shall be certified by a commissioned officer, who, whenever it shall be practicable, shall be other than the person for whom it is to serve as a voucher. All documents or returns upon which issues of money or other articles are to be made must be countersigned by the chief officer of the Regiment, or other particular corps for which the same is to be issued.
The Accounts of Regimental Paymasters, and Quartermasters shall previous to this Transmission to the War Department be presented to the commanders of the Regiments, or of Battalions when detached, and to the persons from whom respectively they shall have received the objects for which they are accountable who shall summarily examine them and certify their opinion respectively.
The above Regulations shall apply to all persons who may act as substitutes for the Officers to whom they relate.
All Estimates for Supplies returns and requisitions for obtaining supplies from the Department of War shall go from the Deputy Superinendants of Military Stores with each Army to the said superintendant.
AllEstimates for supplies shall be reported by the Deputy Quarter Master General with each Army to the Commander of such Army which shall be by him transmitted to the Secretary of War with his opinion. Each Deputy shall send as Duplicate of every estimate to the Quarter master General, who shall report to the Commander in chief general estimates for all the Troops of the United States by the particular Estimates; which general Estimates shall be transmitted, by the commander in Chief to the Secretary of War, with his opinion.