44 Journal and Correspondence

C. S. C.

Camp, of equal degree. Therefore it would not only be a
peice of injustice to the Flying Camp officers, who has suffered
every fatigue and hardship of the campaign, to promote the
regulars according to the first resolve of Convention, but it

will also tend greatly to the hurt of the Service. This I speak
with confidence, well knowing that the officers of the Flying
Camp would quit the service sooner than submit to have their
commissions taken from them, without committing any offence,
it would be submitting to what never was done, or heard of
in any Service whatever. Instance Majors Forrest, Tom
Smith and Howard, who gave up their companys to other
officers, on their being promoted to the rank of Majors. Would
it not be very unjust to take those officers commissions from
them and give them Capt^ns Commissions, and set them out
recruiting at this advanced Season, when they might have
had their Companys recruited by this time, and the choice of
men which would have added honor and credit to them, had
they been first appointed Captains. I will only beg leave to
ask your Honours, whether you could have a good opinion of
a man's honor and Spirit who would Submit to any thing so
much below the character of our officer and Gentleman.
If Gen. Smallwood and Coll^o Price want us broke (for I
must give it that appellation, if our commissions are taken
from us) to do us justice (or me which they may particularly
point at) let them keep a watchful eye over us, and when we
are guilty of any action unbecoming and unworthy the ser-
vice in which we are engaged, have us tryed by a Court Mar-
tial, broke and discharg'd from the Service, then they will
have an opportunity of promoting their officers.
If the last Resolution of Convention is adopted through the
whole arrangement of Regular and Flying camp officers, as
they went out from this State to Camp, it will bear some
degree of justice, but the Flying Camp officers would retain
their commissions, many of them promoted to a higher rank
and many of the Regular officers lose theirs, or not rank as
high as they expect they do at present, which I immagine
would disgust such regular officers, and cause them to lay
down their commissions after being promoted, so that adopt-
ing either mode will have its bad effects. I observe on their
Roster Coll^os Ware, Price and Guist ranks before any officer
in the Flying Camp, and the other Regular officers rank as it
was settled by Convention, if those officers ought to be first
promoted, by the same rule every officer in the Regular Ser-
vice ought to be raised according to their rank, by the first
Resolution of Convention, Gen^l Smallwood ask'd me in the
Council Room if I did not think it unjust, I should command
Captains of the Regular Service. If there is any injustice in