to Henry Knox

Osgood, Samuel, 1748-1813 to Henry Knox

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GLC#
GLC02437.01618-View header record
Type
Letters
Date
17 September 1782
Author/Creator
Osgood, Samuel, 1748-1813
Title
to Henry Knox
Place Written
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pagination
3 p. : docket ; Height: 32.7 cm, Width: 20.6 cm
Primary time period
American Revolution, 1763-1783
Sub-Era
The War for Independence

Discusses recent resolutions of Congress which restructured the system of ranks and payments in the military. Considers whether pay grades should be linked directly to ranks, or whether people in each rank should be paid according to the way they perform their tasks, or the amount of tasks associated with each individual position. For example, he can "easily conceive when a Brigadier General has no Brigade, when he can have no command in the Army unless in that Office." Writes that General Edward Hand "will not presume to think that he is the only person that has filled that office - with general esteem and approbation - he will not surely pretend that his duties are more numerous and multiplied than those of his predecessors or that his expences are necessarily greater." Seems to be arguing that salaries, especially for Adjutant Generals and Brigadier Generals, should be tied to each individual officer and the duties they are supposed to perform, rather than have pay grades tied to rank.

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