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Show ! A HUNDRED YEARS ACO. WASHINGTON OS THE STATE OF THE COINTKV. IIaulem n. y. 30th Sept. 1770 Dear Lund: Your letter of the ISth, which ia the only one received and 'unanswered, now lies before me. I The amazement which you Beeui to be in at the unaccountable measures which have been adopted by would be a good de:U increased if I had the time to unfold the whole rty&tem oi their management since lliu time twelve months. 1 do not know how to account for the unfortunate unfortu-nate steps which have been taken, but from that fatal idea of conciliation concilia-tion which prevailed so long latal, 1 call it, because from my soul I wish it may prove so, though my fears lead me to think there is too much dungerotit. This time last year I pointed out the evil consequences of snort enlistments, the expenses of njilili, and the little dependence that was to be placed in them. I assured that the longer they delayed raising a standing army the more diflicultaud chargeable would they dnd it to get one, and that, at the same time that the militia would answer an-swer no valuable purpose, the frequent fre-quent calling them in would be attended at-tended with an -expense that they could have no conception of. Whether, us 1 have said belore, the unfortunate hope of reconciliation was the cause, or the tear ot a standing army prevailed, pre-vailed, I will not undertake to say; but the policy was to engage men lor, twelve months onl v.- The conseauence of which, you have had gi eat bodies of militia in pay that never were in camp; you have had immense quantities quan-tities ot provisions drawn by men that never rendered you one hour's service ser-vice (at least usefully), and ttiis in the most profuse and wasteful way. Your elortS have been expended, every kind oi military (?) destroyed by them; your number fluctuating, uncertain aud forever far short of report re-port at no one time, I believe, equal i to twenty thousand men fit for duty. At present our number fit lor duty (by this day's report) amounts to 14,75'J, beside 3,427 on command, and the enemy within a stone's throw of us. It is true a body of militia are again ordered out, but tl.ey come without any conveniences, and soon return. 1 discharged a regiment the other d.y that hud in it fourteen rank and Li;c ; fit for duty only, and several that had , less than fifty. In short, such is my situation that if I were to wish the bitterest curse to an enemy on this side of the grave, I should put biui in my stead with my feelings; and yet I do not know what plan of conduct to pursue. I see the impossibility im-possibility of service to the cause by continuing in command, aed vet I am told tnat if I quit the command inevitable ruin will follow, from the distraction that will ensue. In confidence con-fidence I tell you that I never was in such an unhappy, divided state since X was born. To lose all com-lort com-lort aud happiness on the one hand, whilst I am fully persuaded that under such a system of management as has been adopted I cannot have the least chance for reputation, nor those allowances made which the I nature of the case requires; and to be told, on the other, that if I leave the service all will be lost, is, at the same lime that I am herelt of eveiy peaceful peace-ful moment, distressing to a degree. But I will be done with the subject, with the precaution to you that it is not a fit one to be publicly known or discussed. If I fall, it may not be amiss that these circumstances be known,- and declaration made in credit to the justice of my character. And it' the men will stand by me (which by the by I despair of), 1 am resolved not to be forced from this ground while I have lile; and a few days will determine the point, if the enemy should not change their plan of operations; for they certainly w ill not I am sure they ought not to waste the season that is now fast advancing, ad-vancing, and must be precious to them. 1 thought to have given you a more explicit account ot my situation, expectation and feelings, but I have not time. I am wearied to death al! day with a variety of perplexing cir cumstances disturbed at the conduct con-duct of the militia, wnase behavior and want of discipline has done pi e.il injury to the other troops, who in vi-r iiad ulhcer.-, except in a few instann worth the bread tney ..at. My 1:!;m in short, in so mucn engroisi d th.a I have not leisure tor corri',-poui!;iig, unless it is on mere matters ol pub.ir. business I am, with Iru'n and sincerity, dear Lund, your all.-c-tionate friend. Geo, Washington. |