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 6 
 
AUTHENTIC COPIES 
 
 OP 
 
 L E r t E R S 
 
 3ETWEPN 
 
 Sir henry CLINTON, R. B. 
 
 ^^ 
 
 :-? 
 
 c\ 
 
\ 
 
 i 
 
AUTHENTIC COPIES 
 
 OF 
 
 L E r T E R S 
 
 BETWEEN 
 
 Sir henry CLINTON, K. B. 
 
 AND THE 
 
 COMMISSIONERS 
 
 FOR 
 
 AUDITING THE PUBLIC ACCOUNTS. 
 
 I- O N D O N : 
 
 PRINTED IN THE YEAR M.DCC.XCIII. 
 
T 
 
 I 
 
INTRODUCTION, 
 
 1 
 
 
 .'.'■^^ 
 
 ixS fo much has been faid at the 
 clofe of laft war, and fince, refpea^ 
 ing the different modes of fupply- 
 ing the army, I have taken the li- 
 berty of laying before the Public 
 
 my correfpondence with the office 
 for auditing the public accounts ; 
 if it tends to throw any light on 
 that bufmefs, which has hitherto 
 been fo little underftood, and upon 
 
 A 2 which 
 
iv 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 
 which there are fo many opinions, 
 my end will be fully anfwered, and 
 
 they will, perhaps, be then con- 
 vinced, that if any pofitive fixed 
 general fyftem could be adopted, 
 that of contraft, which was eila- 
 blifhed by my predecefTor, Sir Wil- 
 liam Howe, and continued during 
 my command, was the bell under 
 the probable duration of ofFenfive 
 war, in which fecrecy and celerity 
 of operation demands that the pub- 
 lic ftores and warlike depots of 
 every kind fliould be amply pro- 
 vided, and ever ready at an inftant 
 to anfwer the call of the com* 
 mander in chief. 
 
 I 
 
 J 
 
 
 r 1 
 
 i \ 
 
 AUTHENTIC 
 
 f 
 
 n 
 
?!SSi 
 
 JL ■ nil 
 
 AUTHENTIC COPIES 
 
 OF 
 
 L E rr E R s, &'c. 
 
 Purjuant to an A^ of Parliament^ 
 pajfed in the twenty-fifth year of 
 the reign of his Majefiy King 
 George the Ihird, intituled *« An 
 *' Aci for the better examining 
 " and auditing the Public Ac- 
 *' counts of this kingdom — '* 
 
 A HESE are to require you to exhibit to 
 us, on or before the firfb day of May next, 
 at twelve of the clock at noon, at our office, 
 
 3 thrri- 
 
wr 
 
 ( 6 ) 
 
 authenticated copies of all the orders IfTued 
 by the commanders in chief in North Ame- 
 rica, for regulating the department of the 
 Quarter- maftcr General : And hereof you 
 are not to fail. 
 
 Given under our hands at our office 
 in Scotland Yard, Whitehall, this 
 feventh day of April, in the year 
 of our Lord 1786, 
 
 ,1 
 
 I ! 
 
 I ■ 
 
 (Signed) Wm. Molleson. 
 John. Tho. Batt. 
 John Martin Leake. 
 
 To Co lone/ Oliver De 
 Lancey^ Adjutant 
 General for North 
 America, 
 
 I 
 
 M 
 
 \\\ 
 
 
 TO 
 
 \ 
 
( 7 ) 
 
 TO LIEUTENANT COLONEL DE LANCEY. 
 
 Portland Place, June 3, 1786, 
 
 ■1 
 
 % 
 
 SIR, 
 
 JlTxWING maturely confidered the impor- 
 tance of the iiiveftigation, in which the Com- 
 miffioners for auditing the Public Accounts 
 are at prefent engaged ; and the letter you 
 have written to me, in confequence of their 
 precept, (requiring authenticated copies of 
 all orders ilFued by the commanders in chief 
 in North America for regulating the de- 
 partment of Quarter-mafler General) I feel 
 myfelf called upon by every principle of 
 duty, not only to enable you to obey their 
 mandate, as far as relates to my commands, 
 
 but 
 
( 8 ) 
 
 but to offer thofe gentlemen every informa- 
 tion, either perfonally, or othervvife, which 
 my experience and fituations may have fur- 
 nifhed me with upon the fubjed. 
 
 Different opinions have gone forth refpe£l- 
 ing the two modes of fupplying the trains 
 wanted rbr the land and water movements, 
 and various other exigencies of an adling 
 army ; and 1 underftand, that each is fup- 
 ported by the fuffrages of moll: refpe£lablc 
 military charaders. 
 
 
 As the determining this great national 
 qucftion may involve moil important future 
 confcquences to the public, every aid fhould 
 be fought which can throw hght upon the 
 fubjecl ; and I am of opinion, that the fenti- 
 ments of all the general officers who have 
 had commands from Lord Amherft, who, 
 I I be- 
 
■ 
 
 ( 9 ) 
 
 I believe, fiift eftabJiflied this mode of con- 
 traa, to Sir Guy Carleton inclufive, (if col- 
 Ie6led by proper authority) might lead to an 
 cfFedual decifion of it. 
 
 
 As I cannot be entitled to either praife or 
 cenfure for the merits or defe<5ls of the mode 
 followed by me, having only adopted what I 
 found eftabiifhed by my predecefTor, Sir W. 
 Howe, (which the then probable fliort dura- 
 tion of the war would have prevented my 
 altering had I even judged it a bad one) I 
 feel ti^yfelf entirely difmterefted in the event, 
 and have confequently no other inducement 
 for becoming a volunteer in this bulinefs, 
 than that ardent zeal for the public welfare 
 which has ever influenced my conduct. 
 
 1 muft however acknowle-^ge, th^t I atn 
 partial to the fupplying armies by contrad, 
 
 S (upon 
 
( 'o ) 
 
 (upon proper terms) for many good rcafons, 
 amongft which the known Hmits of the ex- 
 pence may not be the leaH: ; for the piir- 
 chafing every thing at the opening a cam- 
 paign would require confiderable lums of 
 money, the greateil: part of which might pro- 
 bably be loft-, (fliould the war be fuddenly 
 clofed) from the great difadvantagc under 
 which it IS well known government always 
 fells.* Local and temporary conlklerations 
 may indeed induce a general officer to adopt 
 the latter plan, as was the cafe with me in 
 I j^6 in Virginia and the Carolinas, where 1 
 found the articles wanted exceeding cheap, 
 
 and with Lord C( 
 
 dlis in 1780 and 1781 
 
 ,ornw 
 
 when there was lio force to oppofe him, and 
 he could purchafe from friends cheap, and 
 
 
 * It Is well known at what rate government i<^ 
 obliged to pay when in want, and at what rate it mult 
 fell at the clofe of a war. 
 
 could 
 
( I' ) 
 
 
 could take from the deferted plantations of 
 the enemies ; and I iinderftand with Sir Guy 
 Carleton, in 1782, very near the clofe of 
 the war, when of courfe thofe articles were 
 to be had (of thofe who had had the con- 
 trail) exceeding cheap alfo. But as a gene- 
 ral fyftem, I am inclined to be of opinion, 
 that the doing it by contract is the befl, in 
 which opinion, I think, the Commiflloners 
 will agree with me, when they read the pro- 
 ceedings of the two Boards of Invefligation, 
 which I appointed at New York for the very 
 purpofe of inquiring into this bunnefs. And 
 I beg leave to recommend the peruilil of them 
 to the Commiflioners, as being replete with 
 the mofl important information, and con- 
 taining every argument which can well be 
 adduced on either fide the queflion. Thefe 
 papers were tranfmitted by me to the Lords 
 of the Treafury in the courfe of 178 1 and 
 
 B 2 early 
 
w 
 
 ( '2 ) 
 
 early in 1782, and may confequently be ob- 
 tained by application to their Board.* 
 
 I am, SIR, 
 
 Your moft obedient, 
 Humble fervant, 
 (Signed) H. CLINTON. 
 
 * Thefe inveftigations and proceedings, and the 
 reports thereon, and the commander in chief's corre- 
 fpondence with the Treafury, were recommended by 
 the Lords of the Treafury, (through their fecretary, 
 Mr. Robinfon) to the then prefident of the Board of 
 public Accounts, before that Board's making their fe- 
 venth Report in June 1782, on the extraordinary ex- 
 penditures, but that gentleman neglefted to avail him- 
 felf of them. 
 
 TO 
 
( '3 ) 
 
 TO LIEUT. GEN. SIR HENRY CLINTON, 
 
 Office for auditing the Public 
 Accounts^ j^th Nov, 1786. 
 
 S I R, 
 
 In confequence of the obliging ofFer con^ 
 tained in your letter to Colonel De Lancey, 
 dated the 3d of June M, to give the Board 
 *< every information, either perfonally or 
 " othervvife, which your experience and fitu- 
 " ation may have furnifhed you with," the 
 Commiffioners are encouraged to trouble you 
 with the following inquiries 3 
 
 yirft, Whether any perfoijs, not belonging 
 to the Quarter-mafler General's department. 
 
 were 
 
( 14 ) 
 
 were employed to make frequent muftcrs of 
 the drivers, horfes, waggons, carts, waggoii- 
 maflers, conductors, clerks, ftore-keepers, 
 artificers, and labourers, ferving in or paid 
 by that department ? and if the returns of 
 thefe mufters, or any of them, have been 
 preferved, it is cefired that they may be 
 tranfmitted to the Board. 
 
 Secondly, Whether it ever came to your 
 knowledge, that any of the perfons entrufted 
 in the departments of the Quarter-mafter 
 General, Barrack-mafter General, Commif- 
 fary General, and Engineers, were the own- 
 ers of, or concerned in the profits arifing from 
 the horfes, &c. or boats and fhips. 
 
 Thirdly, Whether, during your command, 
 
 any orders were given, by which perfons en- 
 
 .3' ' ^ trufled 
 
( '5 ) 
 
 truftcd with purchafing, keeping, or ifluing 
 of public (lores, were forbidden to charge 
 more than they paid, or to appropriate any 
 part thereof to their own ufe, under pretence 
 of ufage, perquifite of office, or otherwife ? 
 And whether all perfbns employed in offices 
 where the public money was received, or 
 paid, or where the public ftores were received 
 or iflued, or perfons employed to controul 
 or check the fame, were forbidden to trade 
 direftly or indiredtly, or to have any concern 
 in the prize of veffels, boats, waggons, carts, 
 and horfes ? And if any fuch orders w^ere 
 given, either written or verbal, defire that 
 copies, or the fubftance of them, may be 
 communicated to the Board. 
 
 I have 
 
( '6 ) 
 
 I have the honour to be, with great rc- 
 fpeift, 
 
 SIR, 
 Your moft obedient and 
 Moft humble fervanr, 
 (Signed, PHIL. DEARE. 
 
 N. B. If thefe gentlemen had been fo good 
 as to have taken the trouble of fending to 
 the Treafury for the papers recommended 
 in my letter to Colonel De Lancey, they 
 would have found all thefe queflions fully 
 anfwered. 
 
 TO 
 
C '7 ) 
 
 TO PHIL. DEAHE, ESCt 
 
 Portland Place, Dec. z6, iyS6. 
 
 S I R, 
 
 HAVING received your letter of the 4tli 
 ult. when I was in the country, I could not, 
 for want of the neceffiry papers, fupply aJ 
 information required by the Commiffioners 
 in the three queftions, to which you have, 
 i« their name, defired my anfwer. Since 
 my coming to town I have run over as much 
 of my correfpondence, and other papers re- 
 lating to the departments of the army lately 
 under my command, as the time would per- 
 mit. And though: the queries prop,fed ra. 
 
 ^ ther 
 
1 
 
 ( '8 ) 
 
 thcr brunch Trom the line I had marked to 
 myfelf in my letter to Colonel De Lancey of 
 the 3d of June, 1786, which was written 
 under an idea that the Commiflioncrs were 
 then engaged in an inquiry into the merits 
 of the two modes of fupplying the trains 
 wanted for the land and water movements of 
 an a«fling army, I have endeavoured to coi- 
 led, in one point of view, all that I found 
 material for the purpofe of anfwering them 
 in the order in which they occur ; it beinj 
 my fincere wi(h to give .the Commiflioners 
 every information in my power. ' 
 
 r-'S^ 
 
 PIRST QUESTION. 
 
 -Vl 
 
 " Whether any perfohs, not belonging to 
 *' the Qiiarrcr-iirafter General's department, 
 '-<'■ " were 
 
( >9 ) 
 
 *• were employed to make frequent muftcrs 
 " of the drivers, horfcs, waggons, carts, 
 " waggon-maftcrs, condudors, clerks, florc- 
 ** keepers, artificers, and labourers, ferving 
 " in or paid by that department ?" 
 
 ANSWER. 
 
 I do not recolle£t that any perfons not be- 
 longing to the Quarter-mafter General's de- 
 partment were employed to make frequent 
 mufters of the drivers, horfes, waggons, 
 carts, &c. ferving in or paid by that depart- 
 ment, before the month of Ai^guft 1781, 
 when a mufter was recommended by a 
 Board of Inveftigation, compofed of general 
 officers and magiftrates, (which I had con- 
 ftituted on a reprcfcntation from Major 
 
 C 2 Drum- 
 
 ; ' 
 
( " ) 
 
 Drummond, Commiflary of Accounts, when 
 he firft began to a<fl, that he had made fome 
 important difcoveries refpe^fling the expen- 
 diture of the public money. (This mufter 
 was, I believe, the firft ever ordered by any 
 commander in chief in America of the de- 
 fcription you mention ; and as it was every 
 way fudden and unexpected, the returns of 
 it, which accompany the proceedings, and 
 report of that board, which I fent to the 
 Treafury, arc moft ample teflimonies, not 
 only that the trains, &c. attached to the 
 Quarter-mafter General's department were 
 kept up to the eftabli(hment ordered, but 
 that there was a confiderable depot befides, 
 (fupported at theexpence of the contradors) 
 in conflant readinefs for any other exigencies 
 pf the fervice. The Quarter-mafter Gene- 
 ral, (who was always a general officer, of 
 ability in his profeflion, and of the higheft 
 
 truft 
 
( »« ) 
 
 iruft and confidence) having been ever re- 
 garded as refponfible to the commander la 
 chief for competent fiippllcs, at all fcafons 
 and on the moft fudden calls ; and having 
 every reafon to fuppofc that the eilablifliment 
 regularly correfponded with the reports made 
 to me by that officer ; I ani free to own, 
 that no other check appeared neceflary than 
 the controul of the Quarter-mafter General 
 by fuch mufters as he might judge expe- 
 dient. And in juftice to the officers of that 
 department, I take this opportunity of de- 
 claring, that I always found them ready to 
 anfwer my requifitions in the fullefl: and 
 fpeedieft manner, of which my march thro' 
 the Jerfeys in i/jS, which required a train' 
 to tranfport twenty-one days provifions for 
 17,000 men, (including the troops and fol- 
 Jowers) the more, in January 1781, td^a- 
 
 vour 
 
 '■■;■* 
 
( 
 
 22 ) 
 
 vour the revolt of great part of the rebel 
 army, which required the utmoft celerity and 
 fecrecy ; and my order for the one intended 
 in Septenrber of the fame year, both of 
 which were complied with at a day's no- 
 tice, are (be fides many others, not neceflary 
 now to enumerate) convincing proofs, and 
 will confequently be allowed to be fufficient 
 inducements for me to take it for granted, that 
 the department was moft fcrupuloufly kept 
 up to the eftablilhment ordered. But had 
 the Commiflary of Accounts thought himfelf 
 fufficiently authorifcd by his commiifi^on to 
 have a'^ed from the firft, which I frequently 
 recommended it to him to do, and had fug- 
 gefted, that he judged frequent mufters of 
 the trains requifitc, I fliould, probably, have 
 ordered them. But I fliould have been cau^ 
 tious (under the uncertain duration of the 
 
 war) 
 
( 23 ) 
 war) how I likened to any propofal for 
 changing the fyftem I found eftablifhed, 
 even if I had any doubts refpeding it, as 
 no man could forefee the mifchievous con- 
 fequences which might have followed an al- 
 teration, from the apparent impoffibility of 
 procuring other fupplies equally efficient 
 when wanted ; and a change (by me at leaft) 
 muft have been peculiarly improper while 
 I was in daily expedation of receiving per- 
 miffion to refign the command, for which I 
 had repeatedly laid my humble entreaties at 
 his Majefty's feet ; in which, however, I 
 was diredled to remain, in terms (I muft 
 acknowledge) mofl flattering ahd honourable 
 
 to me. 
 
 A-. n' 
 
 SECOND 
 
p 
 
 ( M ) 
 
 ^> ■ r, ■ I i' 
 
 SECOND QUESTION. 
 
 ** Whether it ever came to your know- 
 ** ledge that any of the perfons entrufled in 
 ** the departments of the Quarter-mafter Ge- 
 ** neral, Barrack-mafter General, Commif- 
 *' fary General, and Engineers, were the 
 ** owners of, or concerned in the profits ari- 
 " ling from the horfes, and on the boats 
 *' and fliips, &c. V* 
 
 ■ANSWER. 
 
 I never had official infornpation that they 
 were the owners of, or concerned in the pro- 
 fits arifing from the horfes, &c. and the 
 boats and fhips, &c. it had (it is true) been 
 much the fubje£l of converfation during part 
 of my command ; that this was not only 
 ihcn the cafe, in a certain degree, but as Sir 
 
 2 William 
 
( 
 
 ) 
 
 William Erfkine, the Quarter-mafter General, 
 informed me had been ever the pradtice in 
 America from General Braddock's, Lord 
 Loudon's, Lord Amherfl's, General Gage's, 
 and Sir William Hovvj's command, but not 
 having the fmalleft reafon to fufped fraud, 
 and having every one to be fatisfied with the 
 efficiency of my fupplies, I did not think it 
 neccflary for me to take any meafiires refpcc- 
 
 ting it. 
 
 THIRD QUESTION. 
 
 *' Whether during" your command any 
 ** orders were given by which perfons en- 
 ** trufted with purchafing, keeping, or ifluing 
 *' of public {lores, were forbidden to charcrc 
 ** more than they paid, or to appropriate any 
 ** part thereof to their own ufe, under pre- 
 
 D « tencc 
 
( =^6 ) 
 
 ** tence of ufnge, perquifite of office, or 
 *' otherwifc — and whether all perfons em- 
 " ployed in office?;, when the public money 
 *' was received or paid, or when the public 
 '• ftores were received or idued, or perfons 
 '* employed to controul or check the fame, 
 " were forbidden to trade direclly or indirciSl- 
 " ly, or to have any concern uy the prize 
 
 « 
 
 »' of vcflels, boats, waggons, carrs, and. 
 " horfcs r" 
 
 
 A N S W E R. 
 
 No orders which I rccollcdl: were illued 
 during my commanding the army in chief, 
 by whicli the perfons dcfcribed were forbid- 
 den to charge more for fiores purchafed 
 than they paid ; as I humbly conceive that 
 frauds of that flagitious nature being amply 
 puniiliable under the articles of war, as well 
 as the laws of the land, fpcciiic orders were 
 '* not 
 
 
( ^7 ) 
 "ot wanting to prevent them. But ns I 
 judged it po/jible that the public might not 
 always liave full credit given for all the frefli 
 provifions taken from the enemy, and lUbcd 
 to the navy and army, after informing Mr. 
 Wier (the then Commi^Tary General) of my 
 intentions, I gave public orders in July, ,779, 
 to take all captured articles out of the hands 
 of the CommilTary General and his deputies, 
 and place them in thofe of a Commifl-ary of 
 Captures nominated particularly for that fer- 
 vice ; that the troops and failors when ading 
 with the army might be fupplied gratis, and 
 the fait provifions, fent at a great expence 
 from England, be faved to the public, in 
 proportion to the quantity of frefh iflued to 
 the troops, from what was captured from the 
 enemy, and not paid for. And on the open- 
 ing the campaign in Carolina i„ February, 
 '780, I appointed Commiflaries of Capture! 
 
 by 
 
( *8 ) 
 
 ty commiflion, for the purpofe of converting 
 to the good of the fervice, and the ufe, con- 
 vcniency, and benefit of the army, all cattle 
 and moveable property which might be cap- 
 tured from his majefty's enemies. My orders 
 of that period, and the comrnKfion and in- 
 flrudions given to thofe gentlemen and the 
 Commiirary General's deputy, will explain 
 to the Commiilioners, the cautions I ufed to 
 prevent receipts being taken for thofe articles 
 (when iflued to the troops) as for crown ra- 
 tions ; and no iffues proceeding from the 
 Connmiflary General's ftores on the days the 
 troops were fupplied by the Commiflaries of 
 Captures; a vtry confiderable faving accrued, 
 of courfe, to the public during that expedi- 
 tion, to the amount (as I have been inform- 
 ed) of nearly a million of rations, i do not, 
 however, claim merit from the barely having 
 done my duty ; but it furprifed me not a lit- 
 
 3 tie 
 
( ^9 ) 
 
 tie to fee this arrangement, and the benefits 
 refulting from it, afcribed to the orders of a 
 Lieutenant General ferving under my com- 
 mand, which were iflued on the 23d of De- 
 cember, 1780, nearly eighteen months fub- 
 quent to mine, from which it is to be pre- 
 . fumed they originated. 
 
 ! ■ 
 
 Though I am not inclined to fufped that 
 perfons entrufted with thedifburfementof the 
 public money could be fo Joft to every prin- 
 ciple of honour and the fear of punifhment, 
 as to dare to charge more for what they pur- 
 chafed than what was adually paid ; and do 
 not believe the circumftance ever happened 
 under my immediate commaiid, particularly 
 as the Commiflary of Accounts (Colonel. 
 Drummond) whofe duty it was " to curtail 
 " all im.proper charges, prevent unneceflary 
 " expences, corred abufes, and fee that the 
 
 " fervicc 
 
( 3° ) 
 
 '* fervice was carried on with due oeco- 
 *' nomy," &c.* never reported it to nic ; I 
 am yet far from aflertiqg that it did not 
 happen : but if it ever occurred in any of the 
 detached parts of my arrny, it is to be h- 
 mented that the general officer commanding 
 thofe detached troops did not report it to mc, 
 that the offenders might have been properly 
 puniflied, as being the '^adieft and mofl cf- 
 fe£lual means of ftopping the pradlice for the 
 prefent, and preventing it in future. And 
 for the fame reafon I am equally dilinclined 
 to believe, that any perfon entrufled with the 
 charge of the public ftores had appropriated 
 any part thereof to their own ufe or emolu- 
 ment. . 
 
 * Referenre to the Treafury letter dated 19th De- 
 cember, 1780; the laftpage will fliew where thisceco- 
 nomical arrangement originated. 
 
 With 
 
( 3' ) 
 
 Wnh refpea to .he part of the queflion 
 which aflcs whether all perfons concerned hi 
 the receipt or payment of the public money, 
 or in the receipts or iflbes of public ftoref, 
 or perfons employed in controlling or 
 checking the f;.me, were forbidden to trade 
 direaiy or indirc-aiy-J beg leave to lay, 
 that I never heard it even fufpedled that of- 
 ficers of that defcription were concerned in 
 trade; but by referring to the commiffions 
 and inftruaions under which they afted, and 
 which were fent to the Board by Captain 
 Smith, my late fecretary, it will be feen how 
 ^ir they were rcftrided from trade by the 
 <pi'it of them. As to the officers of con- 
 trol, I cannot fuppofe they were ever con- 
 certied ; its impropriety being fo well under- 
 wood, that a refpedable merchant, whom I 
 appointed to control and check the rum 
 P^rchafcs, gave up his concerns in that 
 
 branch 
 
( 3-- ) 
 
 branch of bufinefs, ancUIccliiicJ trade aliocrc- 
 thcr while employed. I beg leave likewifc to 
 mention, that during an expedition which 1 
 commanded in 1776, ail articles pmcliafed 
 furcloathing, feeding, and moving the troops^ 
 were charged to the public at the very cheap 
 prices they coft (^rum for inflance, at 23. lod. 
 per gallon) nor were the perfbns who pur- 
 chafed them, even permitted to charge the 
 ufual commilfion for their trouble.* This 
 beinj?; a matter I can fpeak to from mv own 
 knowled'ce, as I had moreleifure to look into 
 the public expenditures from the fmallncfs of 
 my army, and the very ina6livc Hate to 
 which it was reduced. 
 
 Ill anfvver to the lall part of the queftion, 
 refpedling their having a concern in the price 
 
 * Colonel Drummond a<Sled as Quarter- mafter Ge- 
 neral on that expedition. 
 
 of 
 
( 33 ) 
 
 of vefTcIs, horfes, &c. I can only fay, that 
 I do not recolle^l my having given any 
 formal orders to prevent it, except in a con- 
 verfation I had with the Quarter-mafter Ge- 
 neral, my exprefTing a wonder that contrad 
 and controul fhould be lodged in the fime 
 pcrfon, for the reafons already adduced in 
 my anfwer to the fecond queflion : for ha- 
 ving, as I there faid, every reafon to be fatisfied 
 with the efficiency of the fupplies, and ha- 
 ving none to fufped fraud or injury to the 
 public from the fyflem under which I found 
 them conduded, I apprehended many incon- 
 veniencies,<and even dangers, but faw noad- 
 vantages which might arife from the enga- 
 ging in new experiments, while we were 
 carrying on an ofFenfive war of fuch uncer- 
 tain duratiop ; and had Mr. Wier, of whofe 
 integrity and zeal I had the greateft opinion, 
 beei> fo unwife to have claimed the rights of 
 
 E 
 
 a com- 
 
( 34 ) 
 
 a commifllon he held, exa£lly fimilar to that 
 of his fucccflbr, Mr. Watfon, by propofing 
 to take the whole fupplies into his own hands, 
 while the army was ading offcnfively (as I 
 underftand Mr. Watfon did afterwards, wheu 
 it was on a ftrid dcfcnfive) I doubt whether 
 I ihould have acquiefced even with that alte- 
 ration ; and I have too high an opinion of the 
 refpcdlable officer who fucceeded me, to fup* 
 pofe he would have adlcd othcrwife than I 
 did under the fame circumftances. Reduced 
 however (as that general officer was) to the 
 moft ftri£l: defenfive, and brought almoft 
 within iight of a conclufion of the war, he 
 a£bed perfedly right in making fuch oecono- 
 mical arrangements as he might judge moft 
 conducive to the public benefit. But while 
 condu£ling an ofFenfive war of great magni- 
 tude, no commander in chief could exa- 
 mine the accounts of the departments of his 
 
 army, 
 
( 35 ) 
 
 army, with the prccifion their intricacy and 
 multiplicity required, though ever Co quali- 
 fied by the mod familiar acquaintance with 
 figures and accounts ; nor indeed could there 
 have been any neceflity for it while there was 
 a Commiflary of Accounts on the fpot ; the 
 other more important cafes of fuch a com- 
 mand being amply fufficient to employ every 
 moment of his time. It muft be admitted, 
 therefore, that frauds, abufes, and unnecef- 
 fary expences in the management of the army 
 extraordinaries in North America (fuppofing 
 they had exifted) could have been effeaualiy 
 obviated only by the Commiflary of Accounts 
 having a^ed from the firfl of his appoint- 
 ment, which he was repeatedly called upon 
 to do. But as I have to regret that he did 
 not, I may without vanity aflert, that I took 
 every other precaution which py fituatioa 
 
 ^ 2 aiid 
 
i»4 
 
 ( 36 ) 
 
 and infornti;Ion fuggefted. If I happened at 
 any time to be ftruck with the increafe of ex- 
 pence, I immediately called upon the depart- 
 ments to account for it, as may be feen by 
 referring to my corrcfpondence, particularly 
 my circular letter to the heads of depart- 
 ments, dated 28th of June, 1780, with 
 their anfwers. This I humbly prefume may 
 invalidate the infinuation of the Seventh Report 
 of the CommifTioners of the Public Accounts, 
 that I granted rAvay the public money with- 
 out even the ceremony of a quarterly abftra£t. 
 For though fo much flrefs is laid upon final 
 warrants, and the abilrafls accompanying 
 them, it will readily occiur to the (lighteft re- 
 flcdtion, that in the difperfed ftate of the de- 
 partments, the whole of their dilburfements 
 could fcarcely ever be colletled in time to be 
 included in the quarterly abdradls, and con- 
 fcquently the money wanted for the public 
 
 •'. fervice 
 
( il ) 
 
 fervice muft have been unavoidably granted 
 on account of the commanders in chief, ac- 
 cording to th?^ confidence they placed in the 
 public officers, fv^rhofe high rank, ability, and 
 very rcfpcdable characters, ought to have 
 raifed them even above fufpicion) and the ef- 
 timates they laid before them- Hovirever, as 
 foon as I vas warranted by the certificates of 
 the CommifTary of Accounts, or the report 
 of a Board which I appointed to receive and 
 examine his objedions to the accounts of 
 fome of the departments, and their anfwers, 
 I granted final warrants, before I left the 
 command, to every department, except that 
 of the Commiflary General, whofe accounts 
 had not been reported upon in time, though 
 the GommlflTary of Accounts was repeatedly 
 ureed to expedite them. I took eff^dual 
 meafure to fecure to the public and the army, 
 every pofTible advantage from the cattle, fo- 
 
 rage, 
 
( 38 ) 
 
 rage, and other moveable property taken 
 from the enemy. And to obtain every light 
 which could forward the purpofcs of oecono- 
 my and retrenchment, I appointed the raofl 
 refpe£bablc and beft qualified boards of invef^ 
 tigation which that army and country afford- 
 ed to receive informarion from the Commif- 
 fery of J\ccounrs, and affift in minutely exa- 
 mining into all the expenditures of the diffe- 
 rent departments from the beginning of the 
 war, to nearly its clofe ; that every abufe 
 which exifbed might be dcte£led, and every 
 poflible means of faving the public money 
 adopted. I alfo appointed a gentleman of re- 
 ipedable rank and character to watch over 
 ihe purchafes of rum, that every jufticc 
 might be done to the nation and the foldier 
 in that article ; and the infl:ant the circum- 
 
 flances 
 
( 39 ) 
 
 fiances of the timei* tied up my hands and 
 confined me to a ftri£t defenfive, I called 
 upon all the departments to make every pof- 
 fible redudion in their refpedive trains, my 
 plan for which was given to General Robin- 
 fon upon his being appointed to fucceed me 
 in the command. I do not prefurne to 
 plume myfelf with any benefits refulting 
 from thefe meafures to this kingdom, but I 
 hope it will not be judged unreafonable in mc 
 to expcdt that they may at leafl ferve to refute 
 the charges of tvant of ceconomy and atten- 
 tion, which have been fo very illiberally infi- 
 nuated againfl me in the feventh Report al- 
 luded to. I am, SIR, 
 
 Your mofl obedient humble Servant, 
 
 H, C. 
 
 * The Refolution of the Houfc of Commons of 
 March, 17&A. 
 
 P.S. 
 
( 'O ) 
 
 P, S. To fave the trouble of tranfcribing 
 my orders and letters refpeding the ap- 
 pointment of Commiflaries of Captures, 
 I beg leave to inclofe my printed letter to 
 the Commiffioners of Publig Accounts, 
 in which they are inferted : I like wife 
 take the liberty of referring the Commif- 
 Jioners of the prefent Board of Accounts 
 to the proceedings of the two Boards of 
 Inveftigatio* ppointed by me at New- 
 York, which contain a variety of moft 
 
 . important information, and may he obtain- 
 ed hy application to the Lords of his Ma- 
 jefty's Treafury ; having tranfmitted them 
 to their Lordftiips from America many 
 months before the above Commiilioners of 
 Public Accounts delivered in their feventh 
 Report on the extraordinaries of the army ; 
 therein they will alfo find the return of 
 mufters made of the trains and vefTels at- 
 tached 
 
( 4t ) 
 
 tachcJ to the diftcreiit departments In Au- 
 gull: 1781 ; alio for the contra^^ or agree- 
 ment entered Into by Sir William Erlkine 
 darinj; the connind of my preJeccflor, 
 Sir William Howe, with Meffrs. Win- 
 throp and Kemble In April 1777, and the 
 other documents left by Sir William Erf- 
 kine in. the ofnce of the Quartcr-mafter 
 General, and the formal reports of the 
 deputle;, Colonel Bruyn and Major Ro- 
 blnfon ; the copies of my circular letter 
 to the heads of departments in June 1780, 
 refpefling the increafe of expenditure, with 
 their anfvvers ; and all the other papers re- 
 ferred to in this Iett?r, not already fent to 
 the Commi.Tioiiers, or included In the 
 above, are herewith inclofed. 
 
 H. CLINTON, 
 L '.catena nt- Gene?- a \ late Commande r 
 in Chief in North- America, 
 
 THE END.