Title
Document, 1798 July 28
Library Location
Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University
Name
Pickering, Timothy, 1745-1829 (Author)
Jay, John, 1745-1829 (Addressee)
Format
correspondence
Digital Project
Papers of John Jay
Date
1798 July 28
Physical Description
0 pages
Subjects
United States--History--Revolution, 1775-1783; Jay, John, 1745-1829
Summary
Acknowledges receipt of 18 July. John Jay will be glad to read in the newspaper that Hamilton has been appointed Inspector General with the rank of Major General, but for the most part the news will receive a mixed reception. It might have been better if an Act of Congress had authorized the appointment if some way to remove all doubt of Hamilton's right to command all the Major Generals had been devised. Pickering values John Jay's opinion on the matter. He encloses a copy of his letter of 6 July to Washington to show how similar his own thoughts are to those of Jay. Before making the appointment, Washington spent much time trying to decide between Hamilton's superior talents and Pinckney's respectability and importance in the south. Pickering was glad that Congress rejected Washington's recommendation of his son-in-law, William J. Smith, as Adjutant General. Pickering may have been indiscreet in telling those he met of his reservations about Smith instead of making his views known to Washington, but the latter had proposed Smith in a tone which brooked no contradiction.
Identifier
columbia.jay.12545