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.

158 WASHINGTON'S WRITINGS. [AET. 45.
gomery (a good judge) in Canada, during his long and
severe campaign in 1775.
That I might know the sense of the general officers
upon this point of so much importance, that is, whether
any of them were acquainted with a person qualified
for the discharge of the important duties of this office,
I asked them collectively; but they either were not
acquainted with a proper person, or did not incline to
recommend any one. Colonel Lee, who was formerly
recommended by Congress to fill this office, Colonel
Wilkinson, Major Scull, and Colonel Innes were separately spoken of. The first is an active, spirited man,
a good disciplinarian, and being, as he was, disappointed
before by Colonel Pickering's unexpected acceptance
of the office, may possibly look for it now. He writes
a good hand, but how correctly, or with what ease, I
cannot undertake to say, having had no opportunity of
judging. The next gentleman, Wilkinson, I can say
less of, because he has served for the most part in
the northern department. General Gates I understand
speaks highly of him. He is I believe a good grammatical scholar, but how diligent I know not. The
next, Scull, is a young man, but an old officer, and
very highly spoken of, for his knowledge of service,
strictness of discipline, diligence, and correctness. He
early was brigade-major to General Thompson. The
last, Innes, I know nothing more of, than his being a
man of spirit, good sense, and education, and recommended by General Woodford. Thus, Sir, have I,
without the least view to serve an individual, given you
the name of every one that has been mentioned to me,
and the characters of them respectively, as far as they
have been delineated.
It is a matter of no small moment to the well-being
of an army, that the several departments of it should