[16] _May 13th._ Mr Gorham and Mr Hamilton, two members of a committee of Congress for conferring with the Secretary of War, the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, and myself, relative to disbanding the army, met this morning. I opened the business, and stated very fully the necessity of disbanding the army, in order to get clear of an expense, which our resources are unequal to, and which cannot be supported many months at any rate, but which, if continued any longer, will consume the only means now left for making a payment to the army when disbanded. The gentlemen of the committee seemed perfectly satisfied of the necessity of disbanding the army on principles of economy, but opposed to it on principles of policy, in which the Secretary of Foreign Affairs joins with them. The Secretary at War said little, and I related an observation which he had made to me a few days before in favor of disbanding the army directly, viz.; that they would not continue in the field under their present enlistments, if the war were to break out again; but that in such a case we must begin entirely anew. The conclusion of the conference is, that I am to state the reasons resulting from the situation of our finances, which induce an immediate disbanding of the army, in writing to the committee. _Diary._ * * * * * TO MAJOR GENERAL GREENE. Office of Finance, May 16th, 1783. Sir, Your bills on me fall very heavy, and I am in hourly apprehensions of being unable to pay them. You will see, therefore, that it is utterly impossible to send money for your military chest. I hope, however, and expect, that the sales of the public property will provide you more money than you stand in need of. I know not what orders the Secretary at War may give, but if they be agreeable to my wishes, they will contain an absolute dismission of all the troops in your quarter, for I can see no use in keeping them together. The attacks made upon you, might reconcile me to those which I experience, for they show that no conduct, however just, can possibly escape censure. It is far easier to be faultless than blameless, and the experience I have had in this way leads me to a total disregard of all things, so far as conduct is to be determined. But I must at the same time acknowledge, that I cannot help feeling indignation whenever they are made. They are for the most part mere ebullition of low malice, and if rightly understood contain the most indisputable acknowledgement of merit. Let this reflection console you for what you have already experienced and what may yet be behind.