Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1921-07-13

A valuable contribution to the New
York records Of the Revolutionary
war appears In the latest volume of
the collections Of the New York His
torical society. II contains the hith-
erto unpublished records of an inves-
tigation into the great increase in war
expenditures incurred by the British
army in New York city from May,
177s. when Sir Henry Clinton succeed
ed Gen. William Howe In command.
The vouchers OF the quartermaster's
cOmmissary's and other departments
showed that from May %, 1878, to
December 81. 1880, the expense of
maintaining the army had exceeded by
over f2,000,G00 the expense under Cen
eral Howe's command from December
81. 1915, to May 49, IT'S, a period of
two months shorter duration.
The expense under General Howe
was f1,079. 412; under General Gin
ton E32TS. 429 Rating the pound at
$3.50, which was then its currency
value. the increase represents about
$5,5O0.000.
The original volume is in manu-
script, in one handwriting, containing
copies Of all the papers and letters
submitted to the board Of general Of
ficers appointed by General Clinton on
August I. 1871, to inquire into the
expense accounts 1t is evidently the
copy prepared for Clinton himself.
The original letters, if in existence,
are probably buried in the British
army records. The volume was dis
covered in London by an old book
dealer several years ago, and was pur-
chased by former president Of the
New York Historical society for pre-
sentation to its library.
The documents cover the period
from August to December 1881. In
contrast to the miserable results that
the British army could show to the
home office. this great expenditure
had alarmed the commissioners of his
majesty's treasury, and Clinton's
commissioner of accounts. Major
Drummond. admits in one of his let.
tiers having been requested from Lon
don to curtail all improper charges,
as an examination into the extraor-
binary expenditures for the American
war was under consideration.
For the British the period covered
by the investigation in New York was
the most depressing of the war
Andre had been executed in the fall
of the preceding year. The Carolinas,
through the brilliant campaigns of
General Greene. had been recoyered
to the American cause. CORVALLIS
had succeeded in getting himself
trapped at Yorktown, and on October
10, 1871, his army surrendered to
Washington.
No mention of this event, which took
place during the investigation. is
made, but among the list Of British
officers In New York appears the
name of Brig. Gen. Benedict Arnold.
He Is mentioned two or three times
In the list enumerating the number
of horses and wagons detailed to the
officers and regiments of the army.
These detailed lists enhance the To-
cal interests of the volume, as they
give an accurate record of the num-
Der of men, women and children In the
British and Hessian regiments, the
muster roll Of all the assistants,
drivers, carpenters, artificers, and other
workmen employed in the different de-
partments, In addition to a complete
list of all the vessels used by the
army, with their masters names, ton
mage, AID the use TO which each was
put.
These shipping lists do not include
the regular ships of the line In tfne
navy, but the boats actively contrib
uting to the maintenance of the army
include over 60 craft, from small horse
and provision boats to several armed
briggs and sloops and the prison ship
Falmouth.
That those in charge Of the gov
eminent pursestrings had manipulated
the expenditures for personal gain
Is a matter of history, and grating. to
use no harsher term, in the quarter
masters, commissary's and barrack
masters departments, had been preya-
lent from the very day that the Brit
ish set foot upon Manhattan island.
Thomas Jones, who was judge OF
the New York Supreme court before
the Revolution, and who suffered from
both sides during the war. although
an ardent loyalist, criticizes the finan-
cial management OF the British army
severely in his History Of New York
During the Revolution" He does not
mince matters in describing the pecu-
lations of the quartermaster generals
in New York under Howe and Clinton
and the wealth they carried back to
England.