Strict Attention to Economy
Item
Type
Autograph Draft Document
Title
Strict Attention to Economy
Description
Hamilton issues his instructions regarding the construction of winter quarters while emphasizing that everything must be done with as much economy as possible.
year created
1799
month created
10
day created
04
author
sent from location
New York
recipient
in collection
in publication
notable person/group
Nathan Rice
Alexander Hamilton
corporals
privates
sergeants
musicians
European armies
Lieutenant Colonels Commandant
Colonels Hunewell and Graves
contractors
notable location
New York
notable item/thing
winter quarters
slabs
boards
roofs
doors, windows
floors of the huts for officers
bunks for non-commissioned officers and privates
camp beds and stools
nails
dimensions for huts
Albany boards of fourteen feet in length
kitchen
fuel
timber
wood
recruiting service
notable phrase
you are instructed to purchase ground for winter quarters
procure on public account the number of slabs or boards or both you shall deem requisite for the roofs, doors, and windows of huts
the [non-commissioned officers and privates] will dispense with flooring as was done during the late war
make the floors out of the fragments of the wood cut from the premises
commissioned officers as usual will be provided with their own camp beds and camp stools
nails must also be procured
three regiments are to quarter together
one hut is to be allowed to every twelve corporals or privates
one to every eight sergeants with two chief musicians
one to each captain and each of the regimental staff
one to every two subalterns
one to each field officer
one as a kitchen to each mess of officers
boards have been preferred because they can be afterwards sold for nearly their first cost
slabs (the price of which whould be about two thirds of that of boards) could not be sold again but as fuel
[purchase slabs] if they may be obtained at so cheap a rate as to render them preferable in the view of economy to boards
experience in some of the European armies has proved that large messes by promoting savings tend to the comfort of the troops
care must be taken that there is no waste of timber or wood
the senior of the Lieutenant Colonels Commandant (who I presume is yourself) will assume the command
recruiting service is still to proceed until each regiment shall be carried to its complement
contractors are to furnish the means of transportation by land or water
unless all the savings are made which can consist with propriety, it will be impossible for the government to maintain the forces requisite for security
document number
1799100437000
Item sets
Document instances
| In image | In source | Location in source | |
|---|---|---|---|
| [view document] (0 pages) | [no image] | Collection: Printed Versions | [unknown] |
| [view document] (0 pages) | [no image] | Publication: The Papers of Alexander Hamilton | [unknown] |
Document names
| Type | Name | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author | Alexander Hamilton | New York | [n/a] |
| Recipient | Nathan Rice | [unknown] | [n/a] |