The writings of George Washington; being his correspondence, addresses, messages, and other papers, official and private, selected and published from the original manuscripts; with a life of the author, notes and illustrations. By Jared Sparks.

274 WASHINGTON'S WRITINGS. [ACET. 50.
regiment is fostered by no State, discouraged from recruiting by all, and without funds, it must soon dwindle to nothing, being now very weak.
The present totality of the rank and file, exclusive
of sergeants, of the regiments composing the northern army, amounts to nine thousand one hundred and
forty-six. From this number the sick, men in different
branches of the staff department, and such as are em-.
ployed on other extra duties, whom the peculiarity of
our circumstances compels me to furnish from the army, being deducted, will reduce the efficient operating
force of these corps to seven thou-sand five hundred
and fifty.three rank and file; and I should be uncandid
if I were not to acknowledge, that I do not expect it
will be increased by recruits in the course of the campaign to more than ten thousand fit for duty in the
field. This, Sir, in my opinion, will be the full amount
of the established regiments of the States east of
Pennsylvania. To ascertain the number of militia,
which may be assembled for occasional offensive operations, is more than I can do. The general opinion
is, that there will be no want of militia for any enterprise we can have in view. Be this as it may, this
one thing is certain, that militia are not only slow in
their movements, but, undertaking to judge also of the
propriety of them, will wait till the necessity for acting
strikes them; which, in most cases, is as injurious to
the service as inability or want of inclination; disappointment being the consequence of delay. This observation I could not refrain from making, because, in
all combined operations, especially those which may
depend upon the season or a limited period for their
execution, it is of the utmost importance to know the
fact.
The enclosed return, which is a copy of the last state