Doughty, John (1754-1826) to Henry Knox
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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02437.04695 Author/Creator: Doughty, John (1754-1826) Place Written: Marietta, Ohio Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 19 August 1790 Pagination: 4 p. : docket ; 31.9 x 20 cm. Order a Copy
Major Doughty acknowledges Knox's letter of 25 July. Doughty was worried about his parents who had word that he had died in a skirmish on the frontier (see GLC02437.04606 and GLC02437.04628 for Knox's correspondence with Doughty's family). Thanks Knox for writing to his family and for sending him a letter from Doughty's parents and sister, which eased his mind. Mentions that Judge Turner left him two eagles from "the property of the Society [of Cincinnati]" to sell. Says that General Josiah Harmer wants Doughty to encourage re-enlistment of older soldiers. Doughty says "not one soldier has shown a Disposition to re-engage, and I am fearful we shall not be very successful in this Business." Doughty reprimands Congress, which could not comprehend "the hardships attending the services in this Country." Doughty continues to lament the poor pay and harsh conditions of the officers. He asks if it is "not a little mortifying" that an officers of the Corps "should receive less for his services than the Door keeper of the Congress." Written from Fort Harmar in present-day Marietta, Ohio.
[draft]
Fort Harmar 19 Aug 1790
My Dear Sir,
It is with the sincerest gratitude, I return you my warmest thanks for your affectionate Letter of the 20th of July, & for your tender Expressions of concern on the late Report of my fate on the Tenassee - I had for some time been aflicted with the apprehension of the Pain my good old Parents must have felt from the Report of my Death, I have received through you a Letter from them & my sister which gave me great Pleasure - the [Revival] of Mr. Morgan they tell me was a joyful Day in their little Cottage - to administer comfort & Pleasure to those good old People, is of all others the most [strikeout] [inserted: interesting] to me, there are few Instances in which I feel more the force of Obligation -
Judge Turner left with me two Eagles the Property of the Society, which he has directed me to sell & remitt you the Money - as soon as I have compleated the job, I shall fully execute his Directions.
Genl. Harmar furnished one officially with the late Establishment of the Troops, & has ordered that the officers use their utmost Endeavours to re-enlist the old soldiers - their Orders were published at this Post on the 28t ultimo - not a soldier has shown a Disposition to re-engage, & I am fearfull we shall not be very successful in this Business - I am sure Congress [2] Congress could not have had a competent Idea of the Hardships attending the Service in this Country, & the high [Peice] of every Article, or they would not have resolved upon so small a Reward for our Services - At Post Vincent a Soldier will gett 2ld of Coffee for Six Months Pay, & every Article of Comfort & necessity in the Same Proportion, at the other Garrisons, they will not be much better off; this is one discouraging Circumstance; but when we consider the hard & laborious Work of building garrisons, & boating up these Rivers, which in other Services is always paid for, & add the Risque of Life, no one who has Experience in the Business can suppose the percent pay indequate [sic] to the Service - Circumstanced as we are with Respect to our local Situation & under this Establishment, I confess to you the Poor part of recruiting such Materials as will ensure a firm & faithful Body of Men is very gloomy, indeed -
It is a Principle with me that all Establishments should conform as much as possible to the nature of the Government & People that makes them - & that in republican Governments, where the Military is never a very favorite one, the sure way to ensure the fidelity of your troops, is to attach them to the service, & to depend more upon their attachment, than the severe [Hand] of discipline - How is it possible my Dr Sir, that a poor fellow can be attached [3] attached to a service, when he is ordered, as in the Instance of my late Tour or that of the governors, to row for Days nay months together or against an obstinate Current, exhausted with fatiague [sic], & every moment in Danger for the small Reward of of [sic] two Dollars per month, when he sees others in private Employ doing the same service, & receiving from 10 to 30 Dollars - on the Allegany [Wabash] & Mississippi no man [illegible] on the [Water] for less than a Dollar a Day, the common labouring Wages of the Country in other Branches of Business in even less on the Ohio than [Dollrs pr month] -
With Respect to the Officers, is it not a little mortifying that a Commdg officer of a Corps. should receive less for his services than the Door keeper of Congress; if the Dignity of offices the Estimation in which it is held by Congress, is to be ascertained by the Emoluments annexed to it, the Door keeper is better off than any [illegible] officer in service, leaving these painful Comparisons, you may rest assured my Dear Sir, that unless your officers can live with proper [Oeconomy] like Gentlemen; they never will feel so, & without this [Consequence] about them, they never saw so sincerely attached to this service as professional men - it will be their Interest to change their Profession upon every division that offers; how much a military Corps will be injured by this Exchange, you can [4] can readily conceive - 'I declare to you upon my Honor, my present pay with the most rigid [Oeconomy], will not enable me to live in the style of the lowest [illegible] in either a public or private office in New York, stationed as I am in this Country - if this [text loss] [scituation], which must be that of inferior officers.
I beg you will pardon me for troubling you with my thoughts on this painful [occasion], I have made [inserted: it] the subject of a private Letter, because I know your Goodness will induce you to allow me the Liberty of speaking freely on the subject -
I beg my best Respects to Mrs Knox & Miss Lucy & am my Dr Sir
with the Highest affection &
Esteem your Obd Sert
Jno Doughty
Genl Knox
[docket]
From Col. Doughty
to Genl Knox
From Fort Harmer
1790
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