The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1857-01-09
CITY OF WASHINGTON FRIDAY MORNING. JANUARY 1857

self Of Philadelphia this winter II possble and In truth
do mot to prevent him. as ten days more WIZ put
an a. n END 70 tns & existence o. our for powers that
too dangerous to be inrusted can only ada hat ae
perate diseases require desperate remedies ana "i'n u's
" 1t needless to add that short ensnens and mistaken
dependence upon militia have been the origin o. al w. find
that the enemy daily gathering strength from the uSA
uns isss be
the progress Of the enemys arms p,,,
Could anything but the river Delaware have saved
ing service than giving ten dollars bounty for x ser
vise Of the militia, who come in you cannot not tell how gO
sumo your provisions exhaust your stores ana leave
good officers will offer to raise men upon oontinen
tai pay and establishment in this quarter shall
them to do and regiment them when they have done M
If Congress dsapproye of this proceeding they Will please
signify it, mean il for the best Il may be thought
that going good deal out Of the line Of my duty TO
adopt these advise thus freely character
lose estate to forfeit the inestimabe blessings OF oer
y at stake, and life devoted, must be my excrse4 Sparks
p. 23b. #H
On the 9th of January l777 Washington had, by mar
yeous dexitY and enterprise recrossed the Delaware
surprised the British forces at Trenton and Princeton, and
then had established himself at Morrsown. Congress
had far yielded to his opportunities as to direct an ad
dton OF sixteen hattalions to the new army and 70 au
thorize Washington himself to commission their officers
In letter Colonel Baylor who was forming one oil
those regiments he shows the Importance Of good officers
earnestly you be circumspect in your
choice of ocerstake none but genemen let no local at
taChment9
when an applications made say yes when you ought to
say Remember that 1t Is public, not private cause
also has yet happened Of good bad be
havior in in service that has not win
with boysespeoially for captains. A Sparks, p. 2e9.
The capture of Philadelphia the great enterprise OF
the enemy the campaign of l777, then about to open
Washington yet at Morristown On the 9th OF April
l777, he wrote to Governor johnson, OF Maryland:
~ must content with improving the future chan
Even this cannot be done unless the officers can
be to abandon their quarters and take
the field Let me- therefore, in the most earnest terms beg
that they may be forwarded without loss Of Sparks
p. 3S6. w#
On the 10Th of April l777 Washington says in letter
to John Augustine Washington:
1t to impossible to make our officers in any
the States exert themselves in bringing their men to the
field matter of moonshine whether they come
to-day, tomorrow awcek, or month hence SPARKS,
p. 3s7.
Fourteen days later, Washington exposes the fearful
consequences Of the parsmony exercised in regard to OIL
GERS. He wrote to General Glover April 26, l777:
81 have with great concern observed the almost univer
stessness that prevails throughout the continent and
believe that nothing has contributed to more than the res
gnaon ef officers who stepped early forward and led the
people into the great which deeply
barked look back hope other terms than those
by the people when by eadersf Our enemies
the resignation OF every officer OF rank at THIS
time dsrut Of and deserton from the cause and rejoice
| accordingly Sparks, p. 500.
letter written by Washington to Lincoln the next day
Ap 81 l777) exposes the corruption of many of the Off
GERS
t'I am well convinced that the amazing deserons which
have Of late prevailed among troops proceed entirely
| from their not being regularly paid" al have
In vain endeavored to make the officers bring their pay
roll and draw their money They plead excuse that
bey are so detached they cannot possibly make up regular
cause which fear will be found upon examination, too
and that h that the officers have drawn large sums under
preence of paying their men, but have been obliged from
and for other to appropriate this
money 70 'neir own use. - epark, p 4o1'
saP oael a. ~ m.hp va =. az 90 % 80 T
ure oi Dureoyhe N anu tne y
alhance lnroW geams Oh hoPe upon Tue uarh ana Wny
ers at Valley Forge exhausted by the loss OF the two mem
orabe pitched battles at the Brandywine and Germantown
/ and the evacuation Of Philadelphia.
j Washington, on the nth Of October l7T7 wrote to
4 Richard Harry Lee in Congress-: I s1
"R wsrd the service ia so difficult and every neces
ary 80 expensive that almost all our officers tired
10 not therefore AFFORD them good pretexts ior
70 aay passes oyer my heaa winou' aPPhoAonA 'oi S'
i 70 resagn: VI. 4.
"mnin % tne ast ha @ Gays am terah twenty comms INNS
s ons a. eas e W i uson eu " !. e. ; e
ore c1pure you 70 conure Eongress 70 eonuer is
good officers to leave the service and thereby incur
Of evils unforeseen and rremedable"5 Sparks p. 9s
Arrived at Valley FORGE ON the 2ad Of December l17
| washington wrote to Congress- 7'a@
| oI - oonr;noa hod : ah. ~. ,
Il .t ma M ohaana J5nnI taI' , s ace. ono ,9
to one ar the other Of these three
~ d;snarsod IN ordar ~ nto;n
tha hast ~ annar thew csn - So M'''0 y -
&c sbail add word or two 70 show srst tho roca.s,tv os
rest M the service as no day nor m honr
w;,hn,t tba oFar of res;oned comm;.sor fOtbarwisa
nnh donb the nractcab;tv If bndng tba
sh M Y.u. 49, IA IL th;s shaii nrns. Nj - ~