Knox, Henry (1750-1806) Draft of a society to be formed by the American officers & to be called "the Cincinnati"
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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02437.02090 Author/Creator: Knox, Henry (1750-1806) Place Written: West Point, New York Type: Autograph document Date: 15 April 1783 Pagination: 8 p. : docket ; 34 x 21.1 cm. Order a Copy
Document itself not signed, but docket has Knox's signature. This is a draft document describing the purpose and administrative organization of the officer's fraternal organization that became the Society of the Cincinnati. Says the Society was created to perpetuate "the remembrance of this great event [victory in the Revolution], as the mutual friendships which have been formed under the pressure of common danger, and in numerous instances cemented by the blood of the parties." One of its goals is to "preserve inviolate those exalted rights and liberties of human nature, for which they have fought and bled, and without which the high rank of rational being is a curse, instead of a blessing." Says they will promote the Union between the states. Says the General Society will be divided into state groups and then county groups. The general society will meet every three years, the state society every year, and the county societies every three months. Goes on to describe the administrative make-up of the various societies. Title taken from Knox's docket. GLC02437.02089 is a later copy of this document.
The final version of this Society constitution constitutes one component of GLC02437.02122.
[draft]
West Point 15 Apl 1783
Cincinnati
Whereas it has pleased the Supreme Governor of the Universe with disposition of human affairs to cause the separation of the colonies of North America from the Domination of great Britain, and after a bloody conflict of eight years to establish them free independent and sovereign states connected by alliances founded upon reciprocal advantages with some of the great Princes and Powers of the Earth. To perpetuate therefore as well the remembrance of this great event, as the mutual friendships which have been formed under the pressure of common danger, and in numerous instances cemented by the blood of the parties The officers of the American Army do hereby in the most solemn manner [inserted: associate], constitute, and combine themselves into one Society of Friends to endure while they shall endure, or any of their eldest male posterity who may be judged worthy of becoming its supporters and members.
The officers of the American Army having generally been taken from the Citizens of America, possess high veneration for the character of that illustrious roman Quinctius [struck: Cincin] Cincinnatus, and being resolved to follow his example by returning to their citizenship again, they think they may with [struck: out the imputation] [inserted: propriety] of presumption denominate themselves The Society of "The Cincinnati"
[2] The objects of this association shall be An incessant attention to preserve inviolate those exalted rights and liberties of human nature for which they have fought and bled, and without which the high rank of a rational being is a curse instead of a blessing. - An unalterable determination to promote by all legal [struck: and possible] mean That Union and harmony between the respective states, so ess[inserted:e]ntially necessary to their happiness and the future dignity of the American Empire - To render permanent the cordial affection subsisting among the officers, which [struck: affection] shall dictate brotherly kindness in all things, and particularly shall extend to the most substantial acts of [benificence], to those officers who unfortunately may be under the necessity of demanding it according to the ability of the Society - These principles shall be immutable & shall form the [inserted and struck: immutable] basis of the Society of the Cincinnati.
The General Society will for the sake of frequent [strikeout] communications be [struck: put] divided into State Societies, and these again subdivided into county Societies or in such districts as shall be directed by the State Society. The Society of the counties to meet once in every three months, those of the states once every Year, and the General Society once every three Years. At each Meeting the principles of [3] the institution with the best measures to promote them will be considered and adopted, But it will be necessary that [struck: each] [inserted: the respective] societies should have [struck: its] [inserted: their] particular duties assigned, that the [inserted & struck: all all] [inserted: several parts] [strikeout] may [struck: be systematic] form one system.
The County Societies shall have a [struck: deputy] [inserted: vice] President, deputy Secretary, and deputy treasurer, to be chosen annually by [struck: the Society] themselves.
The deputy Secretary shall [inserted: have] a book in which shall be recorded, the names of all the members of the General Society, the Members who compose the state society, and the particular members, and officers of the County society and and the book in which shall be regularly stated the proceedings of the county society, with all the official letters written and received &c shall also transmit to the secretary of the state society the names of the [struck: county] officers of the county society for the Current Year.
The deputy [struck: Secretary] Treasurer, shall have a book in which shall be recorded an exact state of his proceedings, and of the monies which he may from time to time receive of the respective members, and the appropriations of the same. At each quarterly meeting he shall receive such sums as the members may subscribe, for the relief of the indigent members of the state society, and he shall transmit the same annually to the [struck: state] treasurer of the state society. [inserted: Together with the names of the [struck: society] subscribers]. It will be a rule that no money [4] will be collected but at the quarterly meetings, and that it shall be perfectly optional, to subscribe or not [inserted: & [illegible] sums as each member] [struck: as he] shall think proper, [struck: and such sums as he]
The state societies will consist of all the officers residing [struck: in the respective states] [inserted: In each state respectively] or such [inserted: of them] as may think proper to attend - The officers of the county societies must attend ex officio.
The State Societies shall have a President, Secretary and Treasurer, to be chosen annually by a majority of Votes at the state meeting.
The State meeting shall write annually a circular Letter to the other state societies [struck: stating] [inserted: noting] whatever they may think worthy of observation respecting [inserted: the good of] the Society, or the general government [inserted: of the United States] & giving information of the officers chosen for the current year. [inserted in margin: and a copy of this letter shall be punctually transmitted to the Secretary General of the Society, who shall record them in a book [inserted: to be kept] for that purpose].
The State Society will have the right to regulate every thing respecting itself consistent with the general maxims of the cincinnati. To judge of the qualifications of the members who may be proposed. To expell any member who by [struck: his] [inserted: a] conduct [5] inconsistent with a Gentleman & man of honor, or by an opposition to the interests of the community in general or Society in particular may render himself [illegible] to continue [struck: one of the Cincinnati] [inserted: a member].
[struck: All] The monies which may be [strikeout] furnished by the County societies shall be appropriated [inserted: by the state society by a majority of Votes] to the unfortunate members [inserted: or their widows or orphans] [struck: of the state society by a majority of voices votes]. The whole sum [struck: so] raised shall be distributed annually for the first ten years of the institution provided that proper [strikeout] [inserted: objects claim the relief of the society] but after that period only the interest [inserted: only] shall be expended, and the principal [struck: to] [inserted: shall] be formed into a perpetual fund for the [inserted: benevolent] purposes before recited.
[struck: At] The General meeting of the Society, shall consist of all the members who may find it [6] convenient to attend, but the officers that is [inserted: to say] The President Secretary and Treasurer of the state societies shall consider themselves under indispensable obligations to attend.
In the general meeting the President General & the Secretary General [struck: and the Tre] shall be chosen to serve untill the next [inserted: triennial] meeting. The [inserted and struck: annual [circular]] [inserted: circular] letters which have been written [inserted: annually] by the respective state societies to each other shall be read over and considered [struck: Every thing which [cause]] and all such [inserted: concerted] measures as may conduce to advance the [struck: ends] [inserted: general [intentions] Intendment] of the Society.
[struck: In General] All the officers of the American Army as well those who have resigned with honor or who have been dismissed by the regulations of Congress upon the [inserted: respective] reforms of the Army, as those who shall continue to the end of the, are free to become parties In this institution, provided that they sign their names to the general rules in each state society within [struck: one year] [inserted: two years after] after the [struck: the institution shall take place] Army shall be disbanded.
Each state society shall obtain a list of its members, and at the first annual meeting the state secretary shall [struck: triplicate of the rules of] [inserted: have three copies of the institution of the] society engrossed upon parchment when every [written in the left margin: [strikeout] Specifying opposite their names their times of service and the [struck: the causes of those who have resigned&c] the resolutions of Congress by which any may have [strikeout] been deranged, and the places of residence of each member.] [7] Member [inserted: present] shall sign, and the Secretary shall endev[text loss] to procure the signatures of every absent member, one these to be transmitted to the Secretary General to be kept among the archives of the Society, one to remain in the hands of the state secretary & one to go to the county secretarys. From these state lists the Secretary General must make out at the first General meeting a complete list of the whole Society a copy of which he will furnish each [struck: state] secretary of the state societies, who will transmit them to the county societies
The Society shall have an order by which it shall be known and distinguished, which shall be a medal [inserted: of gold or silver] of a proper size to receive the [strikeout] emblems [struck: which may be] [struck: shall] [inserted: emblems] the principal figure Cincinnatus - three senators presenting him with a sword and other military ensigns - On a field in the background - his wife standing at the door of their cottage - near it a yoked plough & instruments of husbandry, round the whole
"Omnia reliquit [struck: seva] servare Rempublican.
On the reverse
Sun rising - a city with open gates, and vessells entring [sic] the port. Some crowning Cincinnatus with a wreath inscribed Virtutis Premium -
beneath
Hands joined supporting a heart with the motto Esto perpetua.
Round the whole
The name of the Society and year of its institution.
[8] The foreign officers who have served in the Army of the United States, and who have been honorably dismissed therefrom shall be entitled to all the honors rights & Privileges of the Society, and the [struck: General] Secretary [inserted: General] must obtain a list of Men with ranks in the American Army - the places of which they came together with their civil and military rank in their own country, and it shall [struck: also] be a perpetual rule of the Society That the officers of the Gallant Corps of French troops who so gloriously served in America Under the orders of His Excellency Count Rochambeau shall be entitled to all the civilities and friendships of this Society, and to render this as effectual as possible the President General [struck: with] will write to [strikeout] [inserted: General Rochambeau], requesting of him An accurate list of the officers [struck: who were in] of his Army with their civil & military titles and places of residence, and as soon as may be the president General shall transmit to Count de [inserted: [strikeout]] Rochambeau [inserted and struck: & all the french General officers] a Gold medal containing the order of the Society -
[docket]
rough draft of a society to be formed
by the American officers & to
be called "the Cincinnati"
Westpoint 15 April 1783
HKnox
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