1788-12-04 (static/transcriptions/1788/12/155.jpg)

To the President and Council and to General Goddard from whom you will receive charge of the particular Command to which we have appointed you.

As our principal object in conferring this appointment upon you is to make every Aconomical retrenchment in the expences of the Corps which the nature of the service will admit, and as this can only be accomplished with proper effect by the actual presence of the Commanding Officer possessed of sufficient authority for that purpose, we hereby invest you both with the particular Command of the said Corps and with full powers to control & regulate the expence and disbursements of the Paymaster to strike off all staff or other appointments which shall not be absolutely necessary for the good of the Service and to make such other arrangements in detail of duty and expence as you shall think proper.

We have ordered the Secretary to furnish you with Copies of all such orders as we have issued which a relation to this subject for your immediate guidance and until we shall have leisure to form them into a more connected and consistent plan. We place great reliance on your prudence and discretion to accomplish our intentions.
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