Halifax 8th. May 1776
My Lord
I had
the Honor to acknowledge the Receipt of your Lordships Dispatches to [the] 2lst
[of] December by Sir James Baird, who sailed the 2d Inst[an]t in a small Sloop
ordered to England by Admiral Shuldham.
As I had it not in my Power to be particular in my Answers, I have your
Lordships Commands before me for that Purpose.
The
Appointment of Lieut[enan]t Colonel Roy to the Superintendency and Management
of all Matters, relative to the providing and shipping Stores and Necessaries
for the Use of the Army in North America, will certainly be of great Utility to
the Service, and I hope that Lieut[enan]t Bailey of the 23d Regiment whom your
Lordship mentions, arrived in Time, with the Demands of the Corps, to assist in
forwarding this necessary Business.
Your
Lordships Intentions to prevent volunteers coining out to this Army have been
in some Measure frustrated by several who have arrived from Ireland strongly
recommended by the first Gentlemen of the Kingdom, and four in particular by
the Lord Lieutenant, but your Lordship may depend that I shall not make any
Appointments to Ensigncies, except where some singular Act of Gallantry and
good Behavior merits the Honor.
The
Omission of the 38th Regiment in the Distribution of the Forces transmitted on
the 11th June 11th and 9th [of] July 1775, I find to be an Error in the
Adjutant General['s] Clerk, who, making this Mistake in the first Return,
continued it.
The
Order your Lordship has transmitted respecting the Establishments of the five
Regiments leaving Ireland, vizt. 15th. 37th. 53d. 54th. and 57th. shall be duly
observed as will also your Directions relative to the Appointments of Hospital
Mates.
I
learn upon Enquiry [sic] that the Distribution of Officers Tents sent out in
March 1775 was carried home by General Gage.
His
Majesty's Commands for the Reduction of the ten supernumerary Serjeants and
Drummers [of] the 17th. 27th. and 55th. Regiments are obeyed, but to prevent
murmuring, and that the Disappointment may be less the Sufferers, I have
consented, at the Request of the sever[al] Commanding Officers, that the
Serjeants reduced should se[rve] in that Capacity upon Corporals Pay, and the
like Num[ber] of Corporals on the Pay of Privates, until Vacancies may happen
to reinstate them which has been cheerfully accepted: at the same Time I beg
Leave to observe to your Lordship, that of these Regiments, not augmented,
should meet with Losses in the Beginning of the Campaign, they will soon be
capable of little more than Camp Duties, which Inconvenience we have hitherto
[sic] experienced, in so much, that our strongest Battalions cannot produce
from their eight Companies in the Field more than 220 Men, which occasions the
Necessity of forming them always two deep, and as your Lordship will readily
see the Weakness of that Order, I am persuaded you will agree with me in the
Propriety of an Augmentation to those Battalions, wherefore I must beg your
Lordships Intercession with the King for this Measure.
I am
highly concerned to express my Chagrin and Disappointment at the Promotion of
Major Grant of the 40th Regiment when immediately under my Command, superseding
the Powers given in my Commission, this Promotion being prior to His Majesty's
Pleasure signified by Lord George Germain "That I should only have the
posting of Field Officers without Commissions;" and from the Expression of
your Lordships Letter, it seems as if the Remainder of that Succession was left
to me rather by particular Permission, than in Consequence of the Powers which
I had the Honor to receive from His Majesty.
Other Promotions have also been since made of Officers in lower Rank
under my Command, upon which I beg Leave to observe, that His Majesty's Service
must suffer if the War Office is to fill up the vacancies of the American Army;
but having taken the Liberty to lay this great Inconvenience before the
Secretary of State, that I may obtain His Majesty's Pleasure concerning it, I
do no[t] trouble your Lordship further on the Subject.
I
have the Honor of transmitting to your Lordship a particular State of the
Promotions made by me on the Augmentation in Consequence of your Lordships
Letter of the 31st [of] August, annexing them to those received from the War
Office by the Milford Frigate on the same Occasion, and have judged it
expedient to defer publishing them in Orders, until I have the Honor to know
His Majesty's Pleasure upon the Report of Appointments made here, which was
sent home by the Boyne. I am induced
to take this Liberty solely wit[h] the View of avoiding the Confusion which
these Changes would create in the Army and to obviate the Inconveniences
arising from double Promotions, I shall keep open all Ensigncies until they are
determined.
Your
Lordship will also receive enclosed a List of Promotions, since my last
transmitted by the Preston Ship of War, for His Majesty's Approbation. The Memorial of Major Humphry's [sic]
commanding the 52d Regim[en]t respecting Captain Lieut[enan]t Mackelwaine, and of
Major Musgrave recommending Captain Lieut[enan]t Everest for Leave to retire,
will explain my Motives for granting their Requests in the Manner I have done.
I beg
Leave to remark upon the Promotion of Captain Montgomery to the vacant Troop in
the 17th Light Dragoons, by Major Bishops retiring, that I appointed Captain
Montgomery in Consequence of a Letter from Major General Preston of the 8th
[of] December, which was received the 25th [of] February, Informing me of the
Kings Consent for Major Bishop to sell, and recommending Mr. Montgomery in the
strongest Terms to succeed to the Troop, it being known to him that none of the
Lieutenants would purchase. The
General also wrote to Lieut[enan]t Colonel Birch to the same Purport, and in
both Letters he takes Notice of an Approbation having been made to the King in
Favor of Cornet Stanley for the Purchase of the Troop, and of His Majesty's
Answer, which he mentions to have been, "that a Cornet could not be
allowed to purchase a Troop."
Without the least Idea of Mr. Stanleys Promotion being affected by the
Succession of Mr. Montgomery, I filled up the Vacancy but by a Letter received
from Major General Burgoyne on the 26th [of] March, I find that His Majesty has
been pleased to consent to Mr. Stanley's having the Troop and that my earlier
Appointment may be the Cause of His Majesty's Intentions not being fulfilled in
Favor of Mr. Stanley, wherefore I humbly beg your Lordship, if this should be
the Case, to represent to His Majesty the Motives upon which I have proceeded.
In
Consequence of His Majesty's Approbation for the Appointment of an Adjutant
General to this Army, I have appointed Lieut[enan]t Colonel Paterson of the
63d Regiment to that Office, having a thorough Confidence in his Abilities, and
military Knowledge.
Captain
Lyons late of the 17th Foot 5 is appointed Town Major of Halifax on the
Resignation of Captain Marsh of the 65th. Regiment, and Lieut[enan]t Spaight of
the 65th. succeeds Captain Marr of the 47th. as Assistant Deputy Quarter Master
General. These Gentlemen are so well
qualified for their Offices that I can confidently recommend them for His
Majesty's Approbation.
There
being some Officers in this Army who were appointed by General Gage to the new
Corps, hold at the same Time their Rank in the established Regiments, I beg to
know if it is His Majesty's Pleasure that they should retain both Commissions,
or only have the Option of one. I
should have troubled your Lordship sooner upon this Point, had I not understood
from General Gage that he would apply to have it settled.
The
47th. Regiment sailed from hence the 20th. [of] April for Quebec under Convoy
of the Niger Frigate, as an additional Reinforcement to the earliest sent from
England, and I trust that the Town will by this Assistance be preserved until
the Arrival of more Troops from Europe, to recover that important Province.
The
17th Light Dragoons are sent for the Convenience of Forage to Windsor on the
Side of the Bay of Fundy.
From
later Advices than your Lordships Letters of [the] 30th. [of] October, I
understand Captain Crawford of the 52d. has withdrawn his Resignation, which
occasions me to postpone the Appointment of Officers to succeed on his Vacancy.
I
have the Honor to be,
Your
Lordships,
most
obedient and
most
humble Servant
/Signed/ W Howe
The
Right Hon[ora]ble
Lord
viscount Barrington &c &c &c
[Source: The David Library of the American Revolution, Microfilm Collection, P.R.O. W.O. 1/2, 393-396. As transcribed by Gilbert "Skip" Riddle.]
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