Life and Times of Washington, Volume 2: Revised, Enlarged, and EnrichedSchroeder, John Frederick
History
Life and Times of Washington, Volume 2: Revised, Enlarged, and Enriched
Schroeder, John Frederick
Presidents -- United States -- Biography; Washington, George, 1732-1799
Congress had called for an army of 37,000 men, to be in camp on the
1st of January (1781). The resolution, as usual, was too late, but even
although it had been promulgated in due time, so large a force could
not have been brought into the field. The deficiencies and delays on the
part of the several States exceeded all reasonable anticipation. At no
time during this active and interesting campaign did the regular force,
drawn from Pennsylvania to Georgia inclusive, amount to 3,000 men. So
late as the month of April (1781), the States, from New Jersey to New
Hampshire inclusive, had furnished only 5,000 infantry, but this force
was slowly and gradually increased, till, in the month of May, including
cavalry and artillery which never exceeded 1,000 men, it presented a
total of about 7,000, of whom upwards of 4,000 might have been relied
on in active service. A considerable part of this small force arrived
in camp too late to acquire during the campaign that discipline which is
essential to military success. Inadequate as this army was for asserting
the independence of the country, the prospect of being unable to support
it was still more alarming. The men were in rags; clothing had long been
expected from Europe but had not yet arrived and the disappointment was
severely felt.
The magazines were ill supplied, the troops were often almost starving
and the army ready to be dissolved for want of food. The arsenals were
nearly empty. Instead of having the requisites of a well-appointed army
everything was deficient and there was little prospect of being better
provided, for money was as scarce as food and military stores. Congress
had resolved to issue no more bills on the credit of the Union, and
the care of supplying the army was devolved upon the several States
according to a rule established by that body. Even when the States had
collected the specified provisions, the quartermaster-general had no
funds to pay for the transportation of them to the army to accomplish
which military impressment was resorted to in a most offensive degree.
Congress was surrounded with difficulties, the several States were
callous and dilatory, and affairs generally wore an aspect of debility
and decay.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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