Letter from

Leller from General Washington to gen. Washthe Governor of Virginia.

Sir,

Philadelphia, 19th December 1781.
CIRCULAR.

You will have been furnished by his excellency the President, with the resolves of congress of the 10th instant, calling upon the several states to compleat their respective quotas of troops by the first of March next. In order to ascertain the deficiencies, I am directed to transmit to the executives of the states, returns, under particular discriptions, of the number of men each has in service. The troops of your state composing part of the southern army, it would occasion an immense loss of time were I first to call for the returns, and then transmit them them back from hence or wherever I may happen to be; I have for that reason directed major general Greene to furnish your excellency with the state of your line and give you credit for any men you may have serving in the legionary corps or artillery, deducting that amount from the quota assigned to you by the arrangement of the 3rd and 21st of October, 1780, will point out exactly your deficiency.

I flatter myself it is needless to impress upon your excellency the necessity of complying as fully as possible with the requisition of congress above mentioned.

It is a well known fact, that the critical and dangerous situation to which all the southern states were reduced, was owing to the want of a sufficient regular force to oppose to that of the enemy, who, taking advantage of the frequent dissolutions of our temporary armies, had gained such footing in the four most southern, that their governments were totally subverted or debilitated, that they were not capable of exerting sufficient authority to bring a regular army into the field. Happily, this scene is changed, and a moment is allowed us to rectify our past errors, and, if rightly improved, to put ourselves in such a situation, that we

ington to the governor of Virginia.

Letter from need not be apprehensive of the force Great Britain has gen. Wash- remaining upon the continent, or which she can herefaington to the governor of ter probably bring. But the greatest encouragement to Virginia. a vigorous preparation is, that it will be the most likely method of gaining more allies and forcing Great Britain into a negociation, which we have every reason to suppose would end in a peace honorable to the interests and views of America.

I will take the liberty of recommending a matter to your excellency which I must solicit you to urge to the legislature, as absolutely necessary to the filling your regiments with proper men, more especially if the mode of drafting should be adopted. It is, stationing continental officers of the rank of field officers at least, at the different places of rendezvous, who shall judge of the ability of the recruit and pass him or reject him as circumstances may require. For want of a regulation of this kind, we have had hundreds of old men, mere children, disordered and decripid persons passed by civil characters appointed for muster masters, and have been under the necessity of discharging them the moment they have joined the army; whereby the state has been put to a vast expence for an useless man, and the service has lost a man for the campaign, as the districts from whence such have been sent, have scarce ever replaced them. The Secretary at War will address your excellency upon this subject, which I can assure you is of the utmost importance to the constitution of the army.

I have the honor to be,

With the greatest respect, sir,

Your excellency's most obed't. servant,
G. WASHINGTON.

His Excellency,

GOVERNOR HARRISON.

END OF TENTH VOLUME.

INDEX

TO THE

TENTH VOLUME

OF THE

STATUTES AT LARGE.

AMHERST,
Boundaries of parishes of Am-
herst and Lexington, in the
county of Amherst altered
369.

ANDERSON, JOHN &
MEAD.

Lead mines, the property of
John & Mead Anderson, to
be assessed for taxes, accord-
ing to the value of the soil
only 193.

ΟΙ

APPEALS, COURT OF
When to sit at Richmond 89,
152. Court of appeals esta- !
blished 89. Terms 90.
what judges constituted 90.
Precedence of judges 90.-
Oath of judges 90. Jurisdic-
tion 90. Clerk, tipstaff and

crier 91. Sheriff to attend 91.
Appeals, writs of error, &c.
how prosecuted 91. Duty of
clerks, as to records, bonds,
&c. 91. Docketting causes
91. Statements of cases 92.
Decisions, how certified 91.
Certain land claims to be
laid before court of appeals
and there decided 48. Court
of appeals to sit at Richmond
152. Terms of court of ap-
peals altered 455. Court of
appeals may sit beyond their
term, and then the term of the
high court of chancery to
commence the next day 455.
APPEALS.
To court of appeals, how pro-
secuted 91. From decisions
of court of admiralty, how
made, & to what tribunal 101.
APPRENTICES.
Penalty on masters receiving
any consideration for the en-
Y 3

VOL. X.

listment of their apprentices
335. County courts below
the falls of the rivers shall
bind out at least half their
male orphans to the sea 385.
ARMS.
Arms belonging to this state or
United States, how recovered
from those who have the un-
lawful possession 218.
ARMY.
Volunteers to be raised 18. How
Officers and
organized 18.
staff 18. How appointed 19.
Chaplains 19. Pay, rations,
&c. same as continental 19.
Spirits and sugar, how fur-
nished 19. Bounty and term
of service 20. Volunteers for
western frontiers 20. Arms,
&c. how furnished 20. Where
posted, & time of service 21.
Pensions and provision for
wives & indigent parents 21.
Additional bounties to sol-
diers, sailors and marines 23.
Pensions
Land bounty 24.
24. Exempted from personal
taxes 24. Goods at stipulated
prices 26. Half pay for life,
to generals, field officers, cap-
tains, subalterns, chaplains,
physicians, surgeons and sur-
geons' mates 25. Recruiting
officers, how appointed 25.
Their powers, duty and com-
pensation 25. Troop of ca-
valry for protection of Illi-
nois 26. Land bounty to vo-
lunteers under colonel George
Rogers Clarke 26. To sol-
diers for protection of Illinois
27. Four troops of cavalry
for eastern frontier 27. Land
bounty to those who enlist