Letter George Washington to Samuel Griffin, December 24, 1776
The Writings of George Washington from the Original Manuscript Sources, 1745-1799. John C. Fitzpatrick, Editor.--vol. 06
Dear Sir: The unfortunate mode adopted by Congress for the appointment of Officers under the New Establishment, has been big with every Evil; and among others with the most shameful delays; In short, so much confusion and uncertainty attend, the appointments, for want of an arrangement of the Officers, that I do not see whether we are like ever to recover from it; this has determin'd me in the present exigency of our Affairs, to encourage, by every means in my power, to raising of Men for Continental Service, and as your Camp may be a proper place to set a Work of this sort on foot, I wish you would select such persons as you shall judge fit to Command Companies in the first place, and likely to raise them in the next, and promise them in my Name, that if they can raise Companies upon the Continental terms, and establishment, or even if they can Ingage Fifty privates, I will immediately, upon a certificate thereof from you, take both Officers and Men into pay, allow the Officers the Dollar and third for every man they enlist,(71) and the Men their Bounty of twenty Dollars &ca.
[Note 71: Washington wrote "for recruiting" and Harrison changed it to "for every man they enlist."]You will observe, I do not mean to take either Officers or Men into pay, till at least fifty are engaged to a Company and a Certificate obtaind of it; because as I intend these in aid of the 88 Battalions voted by Congress, I cannot consent to burthen the Continent with the expence of an additional number of Officers unless they are accompanied with Men; these companies are to be raised upon the same terms, and for the same time of the other Battalions, and will, as they are raised, be Regimented. As an Incouragement to the Captains, they may nominate their own Subalterns; but then, I will reserve the right of Negativing them in case I find their choice falls upon improper persons from local attachments, rather than the public good. If you can set Eight Companies of this kind on foot, and will facilitate the recruiting of them, I think I can undertake to engage you the Regiment, and a principal share in the nomination of the Field Officers. In this Work you are to recollect, that, no Officers already appointed in the New establishment are to be withdrawn from it, least Con fusion should be introduced(72) thereby, and that my wish and desire is, that these Companies may be raised as far as possible in the Jerseys. At present I shall only add that I am with great esteem, etc.(73)
[Note 72: Washington wrote "is introduced"; Harrison changed it as above.]
[Note 73: The letter sent is in Robert Hanson Harrison's writing and is in the archives of the New York Historical Society.]
http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/mgw:@field(DOCID+@lit(gw060327))