led to
that salary from date. _Diary._

* * * * *

TO GEORGE WASHINGTON.

Camp, August 13th, 1781.

Sir,

The orders of Congress, which we have the honor to communicate,
directing us to confer with your Excellency on the subject of the
proposed numbers and arrangements of the army for the next campaign,
not having pointed out the reasons for inducing the measure, we have
the honor to lay before you our ideas on the subject, so far as we are
acquainted with the matter, from a long conference at which we were
present in Philadelphia, held by a committee of Congress, the
Superintendent of Finance, and the Board of War, pursuant to a
resolution of Congress, with a copy of which your Excellency has been
furnished.

After the full conversation with which we were honored on the 12th
instant, it is unnecessary to enter at large into those reasons, or to
urge the pressing necessity of economising our affairs so as to make
our revenues in a great degree meet our expenses. Your Excellency must
be equally sensible with us of the necessity, and we are perfectly
convinced that you are disposed to assist in every measure tending to
promote so desirable an object. You are also sensible of the impolicy
of calling on the States for men or money, in numbers or quantities so
extensive as to excite among even the zealous and considerate, ideas
of the impracticability of carrying on the war on such terms. Demands
of this nature, instead of animating to exertions, are only productive
of hopeless languor. Your mortifying experience of the inadequate
compliance of the States heretofore, with your former requisitions,
will explain the motives inducing to the expediency of moderating
those demands, so as to render them productive, and in case of failure
to leave the delinquent State without excuse. Your Excellency has no
doubt considered that the class of men who are willing to become
soldiers is much diminished by the war, and therefore the difficulties
of raising an army equal to former establishments has increased, and
will continue to increase, and embarrass the States in their measures
for filling up their quotas, should the mode of recruiting the army be
continued in the present line. You will also have considered, that the
enemy proportionably debilitated by war, is incapable of opposing to
us the force we originally had to encoun