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.

502 WASHINGTON'S WRITINGS. [AET. 51.
TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.
Annapolis, 21 December, 1783.
SIR,
In my last despatch to your Excellency, I had the
honor to inform Congress, that the American troops
had taken possession of the city of New York, and had
delivered it to the government of the State; and that
the British troops had retired to Staten and Long Islands. I had also the honor to enclose to you Sir Guy
Carleton's last letter, informing me of his intention to
take his final departure from the continent, with the
troops under his command, on the 4th of this month.
As there was no longer a necessity for retaining so
many troops in service for the posts at present in our
possession, and as the terms of service of the men
were expiring so fast, that fifteen hundred or two
thousand would have been discharged by June next,
I thought it most consistent with the state of our public affairs to lessen the expense as soon as possible;
and I therefore gave directions to Major-General Knox
before I left New York, to reduce the whole of the
troops to one battalion of infantry of five hundred rank
and file, and about one hundred artillery, and these
to be of the men, who had the longest time to serve.
To carry this arrangement into effect, and to collect
and put into a state of preservation the ordnance and
other valuable military stores belonging to the United
States, it was necessary that there should be some
officer of rank and abilities'; and, as the latter business
was in the particular line of General Knox, and none
understood or could attend to it so well, I directed
Pennsylvania, and Maryland; the American Philosophical Society and
the University of Pennsylvania; the citizens of towns in their corporate
capacity; religious societies; and various incorporated associations.