tary of war, declining the
appointment, if compelled to serve under Hamilton and Pinckney, saying,
"No officer can consent to his own degradation by serving in an inferior
station."

General Pinckney's course was more patriotic and generous. He arrived at
New York, from France, at the middle of October. Washington had awaited
this event with anxiety, for he was fearful that he might have a
repetition of the difficulties with General Knox. But Pinckney
cheerfully acquiesced in the arrangement, and accepted his commission.
He expressed his pleasure at seeing the name of Hamilton at the head of
the major-generals, and applauded the commander-in-chief for his
sagacity and discernment in placing it there. He also expressed his
regret that General Knox had declined his appointment, and that his
feelings had been severely wounded by being outranked. He added, "If the
authority which appointed me to the rank of second major in the army,
will revise the arrangement, and place General Knox before me, I will
neither quit the service nor be dissatisfied."

At the request of the secretary of war, Washington repaired to
Philadelphia as early in November as a due regard to health would allow,
the yellow fever having prevailed in that city during the autumn. He was
requested to meet there Generals Hamilton and Pinckney, to make
arrangements respecting the provisional army about to be raised. M'Henry
had prepared a series of thirteen questions for their consideration, and
Washington propounded fourteen more, all bearing upon the construction
and disposition of the army. For almost five weeks the three generals
were closely engaged in the consideration of this subject, and thus the
result of their deliberations was reduced to proper arrangement, in the
form of two letters to the secretary of war, which were prepared by
Hamilton and signed by Washington. While in Philadelphia on this
occasion, the latter was present at the opening of Congress. This was
his last visit to the seat of the federal government.

Washington returned to Mount Vernon about the twentieth of December,
leaving the executive department of the provisional army in the hands of
General Hamilton. He still adhered to the opinion that there would be no
actual war with France, or at least that the people of the United States
need not have any fear of a French invasion; yet he acted upon the wise
principle of being prepared. On his way home, being detained, he wrote
out so