West Point, August 13, 1780.
Dear Sir:
I cannot help laying before you a few of my thoughts, which lately
have engrossed my whole attention, on the review of our changeable
government at West Point. However, I hope you will make no other use
of them but such as may be of advantage; and whatever may be improper,
or improperly stated, impute to my inability only: and there you
will please to let it rest, and take in good part what I shall say,
as it proceeds from a zeal of affection to you, and from a regard to
the cause I am engaged in. On this consideration you will excuse me,
if any where I should seem to exceed those bounds which custom has
prescribed to subalterns, when they treat of any thing, or adopt modes,
to their superiors.
A continual change of commanding officers, or commandants, is, in my
humble opinion, injurious to this post, and hurtful to the military
duty, so absolutely requisite to be performed, and preserved in a
garrison. As there is no nation at war which pursues the like mode
excepting us; I am therefore induced, not only from this consideration,
but from weighty experience during my station at this post, to offer
an opinion of its impropriety, and bad consequences. The visible ill
it creates; the damage to innumerable things; the irregularity it
continually causes; and lastly, the total loss of the many thousands
which have been, and daily are, expended on this national fabric, which
inevitably must fall to pieces, unless an officer is fixed to this
post (and who ought to be a competent judge of fortifications, and a
military man), are matters which, I think, demand consideration.
A Town-Major, and a good Barrack-Master, are as necessary here, as
the necessaries of life are. The former to regulate the duty and to
keep up discipline in this jurisdiction: the latter to take care of
the buildings, which must otherwise be destroyed. The next thing which
falls to our attention, is the public provision, which has been, and
daily is, exposed here to be lost, to be stolen, and to be damaged, for
want of sufficient shelter and proper repositories. The troops have
suffered, and still suffer, from these and other causes. They have
been cheated in weights, in measure, and in their scanty allowance of
fatigue rum; which I can attest, by being appointed, after my having
represented the matter to General M’Dougall, to inspect into some of
those abuses. Notwithstanding the many thousands of boards which came
here, there are not sufficient for barracks, bunks, etc. For as fast
as one thing is built up, another is torn down again. There is not,
in all this garrison, a proper guard-house for the conveniency of
soldiers, nor for the security of the criminals. No powder magazine,
nor a store for the reception and reserve of the implements of war. In
short, the whole appears, at present, under the care of ungovernable
and undisciplined militia, like a wild Tartar’s camp, instead of that
shining fortification all America thinks not only an insurmountable
barrier against the incursion of its enemy, but likewise an easy
defence in case of an unforeseen disaster of its army.
However, to return to my subject. The importance of those heads already
mentioned, and their connection with those preceding, will, I hope,
obtain your pardon for the digression into which they have led me; and
to your discretion I shall leave what I state.
In a letter I wrote to General Knox some time last winter, among many
things I had to say concerning the ordnance and myself, I made this
remark, to wit: “That relieving of an officer from a garrison, is not
like a relief in the field: for an officer who knows himself to be
relieved, will leave many things undone for the next to do; which I
have seen, heard, and experienced. Beside, after once every thing is to
rights, the men then ought to desist from labor, and exercise the guns.
But new commanding officers have chiefly new systems of defence, which
add labor to labor, and nothing will be formed systematically.”
I have already stated these and more things minutely to the general
officers here, who all agreed in their validity and propriety. But
they, being all liable to immediate removal, there cannot be any thing
formed into a permanent and regular system. Moreover, I have been
informed, that owing to the mismanagement of their predecessors, they
were obliged, after they had taken the command, to hunt for materials
in order to build their own systems; and to issue orders upon orders,
to acquaint themselves with those persons who have, as it were, in
keeping, the several branches which flow into this department.
And let me once more, in confidence, assure you, that I suffer
incessant pain from the sad state this garrison is in. To rectify
defects, my dear sir, when roused to arms, can never be attainable.
Therefore let me beg you to assist in adopting some plan which may be
soldierly, for the good of the service: which, however, can be done
in no other manner, but such as I have hinted to you. For let General
Arnold have all the sagacity imaginable, it will take him some time
to get himself well acquainted with the position and defence of this
post; especially as there is not one single Continental officer left
here who can in any way assist him. Every thing seems new here; and the
very engineer is transferred from hence, on whom he, in some measure,
could have depended for information, with regard to the weakest and
strongest parts of this fortress. And I have not yet told you the one
hundredth part of what I have to say upon some of these subjects; but I
shall finish with prognosticating, that should ever capriciousness hold
sway here, it may prove fatal to this post.
I am, with due respect, Sir,
Your most humble servant,
S. Bauman,
Major of Artillery.