***Gen. William Shepard to Gov. James Bowdoin, Sept. 4^th^, 1786***

[Copy of letter to Governor Bowdoin, Sept. 4^th^, 1786]{.underline}

Westfield, Sept. 4^th^, 1786

May it please your Excellency,

Agreeably to your orders, transmitted to me by the Secretary, I have,
with some degree of attention, considered the state of the fourth
division of the Militia of this Commonwealth, and will, according to
your Excellency's request, beg leave to offer my opinion to you on some
regulations, which appear to me, and to the Field officers of this
division, expedient to be adopted.

There are now in this division six Regiments, three of which, from their
numbers, appear to be unwieldy, and unadapted to the system of
discipline which is established, containing about eighteen companies and
about fourteen hundred men, each, of the training-band. These three
might be divided and yet form good & more convenient Regiments. Then,
according to my view of this division, it might be formed into two
Brigades: The first, third and fourth Regiments, under the command of
Col. Gideon Burt, Major Samuel Flower, and Col. Elisha Porter, to form
one; and the second, fifth and sixth, commanded by Col. Israel Chapin,
Col. Hugh McClallen & Col. Daniel Whitmore to form the other, as the
Regiments are at present arranged. If your Excellency should suppose
this division of the Regiments expedient, the last mentioned Brigade
would contain five Regiments, and the first, four. The Alarm-list added
to the training-band in the three Regiments proposed to be divided,
would amount to about two thousand men, in each of them.

As General Parks tells me he is yet determined to take no further
command in the Militia, and as your Excellency is sensible a return must
be made to the Secretary by January next, you will permit me, Sir, to
request your Orders respecting the arrangements in this division as soon
as your business will permit, especially when your Excellency considers
the disorderly state of this County at this time, and that perhaps it
would not be proper, if new arrangements should take place, that any
Brigadier General should be chosen previously.

With respect to raising Cadet and Artillery companies; I could wish for
your Excellency's permission to raise two companies of Artillery in each
Brigade, and one company of Cadets in this division, including, with
commissioned and non-commissioned officers, an hundred men, for whom, I
should request of your Excellency, orders, when raised, to equip them
with good Arms from some publick Magazine, for which I would be
accountable, when called for, that by having neat Arms of one bore, they
might have more ambition, and appear more respectable as well as
formidable.

The Field officers of this division are desirous of having a troop of
horse in each Brigade, but in my own opinion the horses suitable for
such companies, with all the necessary accoutrements, will be attended
with expense too great for the probable advantage, and I shall therefore
submit the matter to your Excellency's better judgment.

I have enclosed to you, Sir, a list of the companies proposed to be
formed into new Regiments, and also a list of those officers, of whose
election I have yet been informed, who have not been commissioned, and
would wish your Excellency to forward to me their commissions as soon as
you can, especially for the two gentlemen, whom I have chosen for my
Aids de camp, Mr. Abel Whitney of the town, and Mr. William Lyman of
Northampton. I have forgot in the proper place to inform you, that the
Field-officers, whose Regiments are proposed to be dismembered, were
sensible of its necessity and made the partition themselves, excepting
Col. Burt, who was not present; but as his loss is but of three
companies, and his Regiment large enough to admit of it, as well as form
other circumstances, I think he would not be offended.

I would also suggest to your Excellency, that it would in my opinion be
absolutely necessary that positive orders should be issued to all the
Major-Generals to direct all the officers under them, commanding
Regiments, to be particularly careful that they maneuvre and exercise
the men under their several commanders, with the greatest exactness,
upon the plan formed by the Baron Steuben, and adopted by Congress, lest
by a little variation, a mongrel system should be introduced, which
would be greatly to the disadvantage of the Militia, if they should ever
be called to act in conjunction.

I have the honor to be, with every great esteem

your Excellency's most obedient and very humble servant,

Wm Shepard Major General 4^th^ Division

N.B. Let one recommend to your Excellency, Lieut. Col. Robert Oliver of
Chester, for the Deputy Adjutant General, who was a Major in the
Continental army a long time.

His Excellency James Bowdoin, Esq.

**William Shepard papers:**

**Memorial Libraries**

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**Deerfield, MA 01342**