Osgood, Samuel (1748-1813) to Henry Knox

[draft]
Philad.a 17. September 1782
Dear Sir
It will not appear strange to you that I have taken up my pen to write you on a subject in which you are no otherwise personally concerned than as a military person who always ought to have warm military attachments - yet I confidentially presume none other than such as are perfectly consistent with our national safety and such as will be always circumscribed wither the limits of rational expectation. I know too well your liberal sentiments both towards the Army & the civil confederacy not to suppose that you have formed ideas of both upon the soundest principles of national policy - Impressed with these favorable sentiments I need not ask your Candor when I explain to you the principles which governed their Committee and I trust Congress itself in adapting the late System for the adjutant Generals departments. A System no otherwise complained of to my knowledge but as the pay and emoluments annexed to the several officers are unequal, as is supposed to the duties required of these officers.
The confidence unavoidably [reposed] in their fidelity and the great necessity of punctuality and energy in the execution of the trust [reposed] seem to point out as is said pecuniary emoluments as the greatest security for the good conduct of the Officers in that department - or that they be rewarded by Military rank and promotion The present Adjutant General, (against whose abilities to execute, or promptness in execution no unfriendly insinuation has to my knowledge ever been made) feels himself necessitated to leave his Office unless his - pay and emoluments are increased or that he be rewarded with military Promotion - The pay and emoluments annexed to the Adjutant General by the last System are those of a Brigadier General, if not, it was certainly the views of the Committee that they should be the same - the number of Rations are particularly specified as well as the Sum for Subsistence. this seems to be complained of - But I think without the shadow of a reason, because Congress are so heartily disposed to gratify the Army in these matters which they can do without any additional expence to the public that if they will make their election and point out what will please them they may either draw all their Subsistence Money in specific Rations or otherwise as is most convenient for them - this in the present made of supplying the Army is a matter of so little consequence to the public that it may without any application to Congress be adjusted by the financier and Secretary at War - under that head there is no reason of complaint.
The reason given why the pay and emoluments are an insufficient reward for the Services performed is solely because a Brigadier General executes them - and he receives no addition to his pay as a Brigadier - General - But if a Colonel, Lieutenant Colonel Commandant or Lieutenant Colonel they will severally have such an addition to their pay and emoluments as to make them equal to a Brigadier General - on this main argument seems to be grounded - for if these are entitled to an additional pay, then certainly the Brigadier General is equally so - I will not say this consequence is a true one - I think it is clearly otherwise - perhaps no one office in the Army has been so uniformly the same as to pay and Emoluments as that of the Adjutant Generals - It has always had annexed to it the pay and emoluments of a Brigadier General. The first Officer that filled it had the rank of a Brigadier General - the subsequent ones - till the present had the pay and emoluments without the rank - therefore from former precedents no argument can be raised in support of additional pay. It has been suggested that Colonel Scammell the late Adjutant General quitted the Office because the pay and emoluments would not support him - But from my intimate acquaintance with him - I have good reason to believe [strikeout] he quitted the office from a very different reason - It - [2] It seems to be advanced that the quantum of Promotion in the Officer that fills that Office - shall alone govern the quantum of reward without having regard to Services - I do not recollect ever before to have heard this advanced as a Tule for adjusting rewards - But otherwise that similar Services generally entitle to similar rewards. With respect to this Office I persuade myself Congress - adopted the last rule and that let an Officer of which ever of the Grades it is confined to fill the Office his necessary and unavoidable expences would be great as those of any other Grade - Is the Opinion founded in Justice that if a Brigadier General fills the Office and has no additional pay then a Lieutenant Colonel in the same Office ought not to have any?
I think the plain and natural construction of the resolution of Congress is that the pay and emoluments of a Brigadier General are a sufficient reward to induce the most confidential and best qualified Officers to undertake it except Major Generals for no one can suppose that Congress expected they would reduce their own pay by accepting the Office - and the experience of six or seven years would naturally impress them with this Sentiment that notwithstanding - a Brigadier General filled the Office with approbation and esteem at present yet if it should be our misfortune to have him removed therefrom on any account Congress had no certain - reason to conclude that all the military Geniuses best qualified for that Office were confined to the Grade of Brigadier Generals but on the Contrary that it might be possible that from - three lower Grades a person might be found better qualified in every respect to execute the - duties of that Office than Brigadier Generals. The opinion may have been a presumptuous one. But I believe it was really so - As to rewarding the services of this Office with military promotion I believe very few officers in the Army would be willing to consent to it. It would be attended with so many apparent ill consequences to the peace of the Army that no arguments need to be adduced in refutation thereof.
That the pay and emoluments annexed to the Office are as great considering the duties as those annexed to a Brigadier General, I will not [struck: determine] presume to determine I can easily conceive that the Office is highly confidential and of the utmost consequence to - the peace and safety of the Army - the more so the more honorable.
But [struck: as] I can easily conceive when a Brigadier General has no Brigade, when he can have no command in the Army unless in that Office rather than be idle and [cut] the bread of an impoverished and reduced Country without rendering any services therefor That duty as well as inclination would strongly urge him to accept of such an Office with the pay and Emoluments that have invariably been annexed to it. Surely General 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 - If my information is good his duties are not so great and - consequently I cannot conceive that his expences are necessarily greater so that I humbly conceive that Congress rather discovered a liberal than a contracted and penurious disposition - therefore the policy of it stands upon the broad bottom of generous principles Neither can there be a charge of inattention: surely the subject was very carefully and very fully examined. It was [3] was not hastily adopted - it was several months under consideration and after much conversation on it by the Committee they unanimously agreed - The only objections in Congress against it were that the pay and emoluments were too great - I think from this candid explanation every charge of inattention will be removed - How far it is destitute of respect or any thing else I will not determine - because if the Subject was carefully attended to; if it is founded on liberal principles which in my opinion is clearly the case, I have nothing to do with respect or deference in a public capacity farther than - directed by my own Judgment which I hope will ever be free and unconstrained -
Thus Sir I have freely opened to you my Sentiments on a subject which I find has been the cause of very Severe strictures - If I am wrong in my opinion I hope to feel the weight of a rational - conviction which I must acknowledge I do not at present - forgive me dear Sir for having troubled you this much and believe me to be with sentiments of the greatest esteem
Dear Sir
Your most obed. Servant
Major Genl. Knox
Samuel Osgood

[docket]
From Major Osgood 17 Sept
1782