trade, who from their peculiar characters can gain admittance within the enemy's lines. I am, &c. DEAR SIR, TO HENRY LAURENS. Middlebrook, 17 February, 1779. Although I have delayed till now to give you the trouble of a line, I am not the less impressed with a sense of your politeness and civilities to me while I had the honor of being under your roof. I shall think myself very happy, if any poor cottage, of which I may happen to be master, can be honored with your company. We have nothing new in this quarter, but we are told that something great and good is in store for us at Congress; nothing less, in short, than an alliance with Spain, and a loan from that court, of thirteen millions of dollars. When I said we had nothing new, I ought to have excepted a piece of intelligence, that the enemy on Staten Island are busy in preparing fascines. The design of them we are as yet ignorant of.. I am a little impatient to hear something further from Georgia. Mrs. Washington prays you to accept her sincere thanks for your kind attention to her while she was in the city of Philadelphia, and joins in respectful compliments with, dear Sir, &c. SIR, TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS. Head-Quarters, Middlebrook, 26 February, 1779. Yesterday morning a detachment of the enemy from Staten Island made an attempt to surprise the post at Elizabethtown. On receiving information of it, General St. Clair with the Pennsylvania division, and General Smallwood with the Maryland division, were put in motion by different routes to form a junction at the Scotch Plains, and proceed to reinforce General Maxwell and act as circumstances should require. Intelligence of the sudden retreat of the enemy occasioned their recall before they had advanced far. The enclosed copy of a letter from General Maxwell will furnish all the particulars I have received of this fruitless incursion. Through hurry of business in Philadelphia and since my arrival here, the papers relating to the inquiry into the conduct of the late quartermaster-general have till now escaped a particular consideration. A difficulty occurs in executing the direction of Congress for bringing the affair to a military decision, which requires to be explained. It is a received opinion, that MajorGeneral Mifflin has resigned his commission in the army. If this be true, as he is no longer an officer, I should not conceive that he can be amenable to a military tribunal. I request to be favored with information on this head. With very great respect and esteem, I have the honor to be, &c. SIR, TO BARON STEUBEN. Head-Quarters, 26 February, 1779. Captain Walker delivered me your favor of the 10th instant, with the sequel of your manuscript. Enclosed, I transmit to you my remarks on the first part. The remainder shall follow, as soon as other affairs of equal importance will permit. I very much approve the con ciseness of the work, founded on your general principle of rejecting every thing superfluous; though perhaps it would not be amiss, in a work of instruction, to be more minute and particular in some parts. One precaution is rendered necessary by your writing in a foreign tongue, which is to have the whole revised and prepared for the press by some person, who will give it perspicuity and correctness of diction, without deviating from the appropriate terms and language of military science. These points cannot be too closely attended to, in regulations which are to receive the sanction of Congress, and are designed for the general government of the army. I am with great regard and esteem, &c.* SIR, TO COLONEL THEODORIC BLAND. Head-Quarters, 28 February, 1779. The Board of War, having received disagreeable accounts of the situation of matters at the convention barracks, are of opinion, that order can be restored only by the presence of a sensible, discreet officer, charged with the general direction of their affairs, and having sufficient weight and knowledge of business, to regulate the uneasy and discordant spirits among the prisoners. Upon the Board's applying to me, to appoint an officer for that purpose, I have fixed on you as fully answering the description, and I am, therefore to The above relates to Baron Steuben's work on military tactics, which was adopted by Congress for the Continental army, and went into universal use with the militia for many years throughout the United States. Colonel Pickering superintended the publication of the first edition, bestowed a good deal of pains to have it brought out accurately, and probably revised and corrected the manuscript for the press. VOL. VI. 23 desire, that you will as speedily is possible after the receipt of this letter, repair to Charlottesville and take the command there. You will immediately make yourself acquainted with the sources of discontent and uneasiness, and exert yourself in applying the most efficacious remedies. The enclosed copy of a resolve of Congress will show you, that the Governor and Council of Virginia are authorized to superintend the whole.* You are therefore to conduct yourself accordingly, in rendering them an account, or requesting their assistance. Upon the whole, I am persuaded, that from your knowledge of the world, and the acquaintance which you have already made with the troops committed to your care, you are no stranger to the characters with whom you will have principally to deal, and that, while you do credit to the continent, by affording the convention troops no grounds of complaint, you will know how to manage the refractory spirits among them. I am, &c. TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS. DEAR SIR, Middlebrook, 1 March, 1779. I have been a little surprised, that the several important pieces of intelligence lately received from Europe, such parts, I mean, as are circulated without reserve in conversation, have not yet been given to the public, in a manner calculated to attract the attention and impress the minds of the people. As they are now propagated, they run through the country in a variety See Journals of Congress, February 20th. of forms, are confounded in the common mass of general rumors, and lose a great part of their effect. It would certainly be attended with many valuable consequences, if they could be given to the people in some more authentic and pointed manner. It would assist the measures taken to restore our currency, promote the recruiting of the army and our other military arrangements, and give a certain spring to our affairs in general. Congress may have particular reasons for not communicating the intelligence officially, which would certainly be the best mode, if it could be done; but, if it cannot, it were to be wished, that as much as is intended to be commonly known could be published in as striking a way, and with as great an appearance of authority, as may be consistent with propriety. I have taken the liberty to trouble you with this hint, as sometimes things the most obvious escape attention. If you agree with me in sentiment, you will easily fall upon the most proper mode for answering the purpose. With very great esteem and regard, I am, &c.* - *The President of Congress replied;- "The opinion, that greater advantage results from communicating important events to the people, in an authentic way, than by unauthorized reports, is certainly just, though often neglected. The intelligence alluded to is unfortunately of such a nature, or rather so circumstanced, as to render secrecy necessary. As Congress, with the consent of the minister of France, have directed it to be communicated to you, further remarks will be unnecessary. Dr. Witherspoon, who lately returned to Jersey, promised to do it in a personal conference."-MS. Letter, March 3d. This intelligence related to a project of Congress for attempting to recover Georgia, by sending an army to act in conjunction with Count d'Estaing, who was then in the West Indies. Congress applied to M. Gerard, the French minister, for four frigates out of Count d'Estaing's squadron to operate against the enemy in Georgia and Carolina. M. Gerard answered, that they would weaken Count d'Estaing's armament too much, and moreover would not be sufficient to meet the enemy's forces at the south; and that this would in any case be an extraordinary service, which, by the conditions of the treaty, would demand a compensation from the United States. The committee of Congress, |