Sends Jay copies of letters and papers pertaining to difficulty with certain officers. Affair is alarming; distress in some corps, very great. Enclosure found: Washington to Maxwell, 10 May 799. During Maxwell's short stay at headquarters, Washington was too occupied with other things to deal with matter of officers of first New Jersey regiment. Regrets that officers persist in their actions and do ubts new arguments can dissuade them. Washington wishes to call attention to some parts of the officers' memorial: their remarks on the insufficiency of common soldiers' pay is "a doctrine full of dangerous consequences, and which ought not to be countenanced in any way whatever." In no country in the world can a common soldier expect more than food, clothing and pay little more than nominal. The idea of maintaining soldiers' families at home is inconsistent with finances of any government. As it is, American soldiers are better fed than any others.
Subjects
United States--History--Revolution, 1775-1783; Jay, John, 1745-1829