- Their being of an uniform length, or bore, is of no
consequence, as every man should cast and cut his own ball.
The barrel, mounting, and lock, should be covered with a composition, to
render them as dull, and as little discernible, as possible. The locks
should always be in the very best firing order, and constructed to give
fire as easily as the nature of the service will admit. Oil, for the
inside of the rifle, should be regularly served; and the flints should be
of a much better quality than those used in muskets.
POWDER.
Every thing depends upon this article's being of an uniform degree of
strength: it should be of the best quality, but not glazed.
ACCOUTREMENTS AND DRESS,
Cannot be better than those used by the rifle corps in this country,
except perhaps that the latter should be of a dusky green, the colour died
in the Highlands of Scotland for plaids; even the cap should be of this
colour: a sort of helmet, constructed so as to afford a rest to fire from,
when lying on the belly.
EXERCISE, &c.
It may perhaps be presumption in me to say any thing on this subject; but
I cannot help thinking it should be the _reverse_ of what is used in
the Line. They should be encamped as much as possible in a woody country,
as the art of _freeing_, as the back woodsmen call it, is one of
their best manoeuvres. Their whole time should be taken up in the
_real_ study of their profession, not in powdering, pipeclaying,
blacking, polishing, and such military fopperies.
The rifle out of the question, I do not think _slow, deliberate firing_
sufficiently attended to in the english army. Want of ammunition first
introduced it into this country at Bunker's Hill, and afterward at
Sullivan's Island. The carnage that ensued was a fatal proof of it's
efficacy.
I have often thought, that the success of our navy was in a great measure
owing to _cool, deliberate firing_; and there is no doubt but that the
military fame of our ancestors was owing to their great superiority in
shooting the long bow; for the exercise of which, butts were erected in
every village in the kingdom. -
From
Yours, &c
* * * * *
_Philadelphia, February 12th, 1796._
DEAR FRIEND,
Were I to characterise the _United States_, it should be by the
appellation of the _land of speculation_.
Such has been the rapid rise of every article of american produce, of
house-rent, and land (to say nothing of mercantile speculation, great part
of the carrying trade of Europe being now in the hands of the Americans),
that surely there never was a country where that passion was so universal,
or had such unbounded scope.
The last great purchase of land from the Indians, on the confines of
Georgia, was at the rate of a cent per acre; one hundred acres for a
dollar!
Before the american war, flour, was sold at _two_ dollars, per barrel; it
is now selling at _fourteen_.
But perhaps the most tempting speculation is that of the _mines_. Our
friend, Parsons, who is here looked upon as an agent to some english
speculators, has lately received the enclosed, which I begged a copy of,
for your perusal but should first inform you, the cheapest fuel you can
burn in some parts of America, is english coal from Liverpool!
Farewell.
COPY OF A LETTER TO B. PARSONS.
"SIR,
"The coal mine, of which you requested, me to give you a description, is
situate in the county of Hampshire, on a spur or arm of the Allegany
mountains. At the foot of this, within the distance of one mile, is the
river Patowmack, at the confluence of it's north branch with the Savage
river. To this point, the Patowmack Company, incorporated for this
purpose, intend to extend their navigation, and have already perfected it
within the distant of six or seven miles. The work is going forward, and I
believe will be completed next summer. This being perfected, there will be
a good navigation for large flat-bottomed boats, within one mile of the
coal-bank, to which a good road may be had on the side of the mountain.
"This immense body of coal, which lies not above two or three feet under
the surface of the earth, was discovered by the falling of a tree, the
roots of which brought up some pieces of coal. It has been made use of for
some years by the neighbouring blacksmiths, who have made a perpendicular
opening, about ten feet on this side of the mountain. Intending to
purchase this property, I employed a man about two years ago to dig about
twelve feel lower down than the first opening, and found nothing but a
solid body of coal, of an excellent quality. I am inclined to think it
extends to the bottom of the mountain, and may be procured with so much
ease, that one hand, as I am assured, could deliver three hundred bushels
a day.
"From the information I have received, there is a body of iron ore within
seven or eight miles of the coal-bank; and I expect a very advantageous
situation for water-works might be found at the confluence of the North
Branch and the Savage. Among the great objects contemplated by the
Patowmack Company in clearing the navigation of that extensive river, was
that of forming an easy communication between the eastern and western
waters, which you know are divided by the Allegany Mountains. The space
that separates them at present is about sixty miles; but when the
obstructions to the navigation down the Patowmack, which, passing through
an extensive and fertile country, leads to the seat[Footnote: The writer
means _intended_ seat of federal empire.] of federal empire; and
thence widening by degrees to the width of twelve miles, empties itself
into the bay of Chesapeak.
