Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02437.01976 Author/Creator: Knox, Henry (1750-1806) Place Written: West Point, New York Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 3 March 1783 Pagination: 3 p. : docket ; 33.6 x 21.2 cm.

Summary of Content: Praises the artificers and men of the artillery for their work throughout the war and discusses their sentiments in regards to commissions and pay, which they feel is unfair under the current system.

Full Transcript: [draft]
West Point 3 March 1783
Sir
I have the honor to state to you, that there has [inserted: been] from the origin of the War a corps of artificers attached to ...the Artillery for the [strikeout] purpose of [struck: mak] constructing & reframing [struck: all car] carriages of all [struck: denominations] [inserted: [kinds or beings?]] in the ordnance department - That this corps has had officers annexed to it with the same denominations as those of a company of artillery, That is a captain, Captain Lieutenant, first & second Lieutenants, That at present there are four officers belonging to it, of the above descriptions, are seventy five men [inserted: for the War]. That [struck: those] [inserted: the] officers have been in the service in different capacities [struck: from the] nearly or quite from the commencement of the War, [strikeout] and in the rank of officers [strikeout] ever since the beginning of 77 exact the board [illegible] who is of a more recent appointment
That in [these] several stations they have conducted themselves in an exemplary manner, [text loss] proving themselves [inserted: highly] worthy and adequate to the many [urgent] and important matters [2] committed to them - [struck: In some instances of officers of artillery artillery sim similarly circumstanced have had commissions, but in consequence of] As their services have [struck: generally] been in the field, they have [strikeout] [inserted: sustained] all the [hardships] incident there to fighting excepted - [struck: They have] [inserted: They have] suffered for want of pay and provisions in the same degree as other officers, and their labors have been incessant
In [struck: some] many instances officers similarly circumstances have had commissions given to them, but by some [regulations] these [struck: Gen] officers [strikeout] [inserted: are in possession of] warrants, and [strikeout] they are conscious of their services, they [consider] this as a greviances and request that they may have commissions according the their stations in the same manner as other officers, and they also think themselves entitled to the same [enducements] after the War as [struck: other] officers [inserted of the same grade] in the line of the [struck: same grade.] [inserted: Army].
[struck: As those] As [struck: the] [struck: these officers] [struck: they] [inserted: these Gentlemen] have great merit I am anxious that they should have all proper encouragement and therefore [take] the liberty to beg that you would be pleased to have their requests decided upon - and at the same time to have the rates of [the] mens pay paid by some law [3] [which] shall govern in that settlement [inserted: of their accounts] with the [states] [struck: They strikeout] to which they belong. This [struck: new] subject was fully related to you when at this post.
I have the honor to be with great
respect your most obedient
servant
HKnox

Honorable General Lincoln
secretary at War.
[docket]
To Gen Lincoln Secy of War
3 March 1783.

General McDougall
[docket]
To
Genl McDougall 3 March 1783.See More

People: Knox, Henry, 1750-1806
Lincoln, Benjamin, 1733-1810

Historical Era: The New Nation, 1783-1815

Subjects: Revolutionary WarRevolutionary War GeneralMilitary HistoryContinental ArmyArtillerySoldier's PayFinance

Sub Era:

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