Should the soldier be supplied with a well-constructed musket with a percussion lock--and if he be required to use a muzzle stopper, a charge though a day or two in the barrel, will go off almost as well as if just loaded, and this too in any kind of weather. Our commanding officers when going into action, or rather on supposing that they were about to do so, in general made the soldiers prime and load too soon, for this, I may say, is the business of a moment; and how often after the regiments had loaded, have they never had an opportunity of firing a shot the whole day. At night probably the soldiers bivouacked, and it rained heavily, so that in the morning not a firelock, if it had been attempted, would have gone off. Darkness had prevented it from being done the night before, and when the charge had next morning to be drawn, it was found to be a very difficult job, when the ball was held tight by wet paper. And then the barrel required to be well washed out, which took more time than could be allowed for the purpose, and consequently it was badly done. I need, therefore, now scarcely observe, that the percussion lock, in a great measure, obviates, by a very little attention, such serious inconveniences and defects. It may very likely be deemed great presumption for me to propose so many changes; yet, having spoken of an alteration in the uniform of the regiments, I shall now venture to mention what has been suggested to me as likely to be a great improvement; but I do not by any means pretend to say that nothing superior could be thought of or invented. But if people take the liberty of finding fault with fashions or systems, whether old or new, it is but fair that they should be required to point out remedies or improvements.