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.

PART II.] THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 309
If the regiments of artillery, allotted to the States of
Pennsylvania and Virginia, cannot be completed, an
event of which I see but little prospect, however inconsistent it may be with policy, and whatever consequence it may involve, I readily subscribe to the opinion of blending the two into one. Nothing surely can
be more inconsistent with every principle of economy,
than to keep up whole corps of officers for the sake
of a handful of men. There cannot, I think, be a doubt
of the propriety of reducing Hazen's regiment. The
Canadian part of it may be formed into one or more
companies according to their number, and be employed
as watermen, or in other services suited to their circumstances; the remainder may be turned over to the
States to which they respectively belong.
What prospects the States south of the Delaware
have of getting their regiments filled, under the several
modes adopted by them, I know not; therefore I can
give no opinion respecting them, but am certain that no
regiment of infantry belonging to any State north of
the Delaware ought to be reduced. Most of the staff
departments of the army have undergone a recent
change. Those, I presume, cannot want a revision.
The quartermaster's department has been regulated
without any participation of mine, and I know too little of its present constitution to form any judgment,upon it. The same is the state of my knowledge respecting the clothier's department. I can only observe
to you that, upon an application to me from the assistant clothier here for provisions, it appeared to me,
that he had more persons employed under him than
were necessary, and on that principle I refused to give
him an order for his full request.
Thus, Sir, I have given you my sentiments on your
queries. If they shall prove of any use in effecting