1. Jackson presumably sent Capt. Samuel Page, who wrote GW from West Point on this date: “From the ruinous situation of my intrest at home togeather with the impared state of my constitution I am induced to request your Excellency for a discharge from the service” (ALS, DNA: RG 93, manuscript file no. 2306). The docket of this letter indicates acceptance of Page’s resignation on 18 March.

Samuel Page (1753–1814) served as lieutenant in the Lexington Alarm during April 1775 and as captain in the Massachusetts militia in 1776. He became captain in the 11th Massachusetts Regiment in January 1777.

2. GW replied to Jackson from Morristown on 21 March: “I recd your favr of the 16th with the Commissions of your Subalterns—I have sent them to the Board of War and have requested them to issue others agreeable to the true Arrangement” (Df, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW).

GW had written the Board of War from Morristown on 20 March: “By the inclosed papers you will find that the arrangement of the subalterns of the 8th Massachusetts Regt which was delivered by General patterson to the Board of General Officers appointed to arrange that line was not the proper one, and consequently, that the Commissions issued were erroneous in point of date and regimental precedency. This you will percei⟨ve⟩ by comparing the Commissions which have been issued and which I return with the true arrangement which is inclosed. This amendment being confined to the subalterns of the 8th Regiment only will not affect the rights of any other Regt or the line at large—I shall be glad to have the new Commissions as soon as possible as the Officers find an inconvenience, when upon duty, without them. … P.S. I have recd Mr Stodderts letter inclosing Copy of the arrangement of the subs. of the Massachusetts line” (Df, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW; obscured portions of the draft are supplied in angle brackets from the Varick transcript; Tilghman inadvertently wrote “errroneous” on the draft; Tilghman also wrote “are uneasy” on the draft before striking out those words in favor of “find an inconvenience”). The enclosed arrangement has not been identified. For the letter from Benjamin Stoddert to GW mentioned in the postscript, see GW to the Board of War, 25 March, n.1.

Jackson initially had presented this issue to Maj. Gen. William Heath, the former commander at West Point. In his letter to Heath written at West Point between 29 Feb. and 4 March, Jackson blamed Brig. Gen. John Paterson for his “Neglect in his not Given in my last arangement, appon my Word and Honr its becom a Searous afair in my Regt one half of my best officers will Quitt the Service” (MHi: Heath Papers).

Heath replied to Jackson from Roxbury, Mass., on 15 March: “Your favor of the 29th ulto and postscript of the 4th Instant came to hand this Day, the report you made of the mistakes in the Commissions of the Officers of your Regiment, I carefully transmitted to his Excellency General Washington before I left the Highlands, observed to him the reasons of the mistakes having happened, and requested his direction in what way the matter should be taken up—hope it will be done in such manner as to establish peace and harmony in the Regiment.

“I am sorry to hear that any of the officers are out of humour, or that you have any disponding moments, you must as I have often been forced to do act the phylospher, as well as the soldier” (MHi: Heath Papers; see also Heath to GW, 19 Feb., and GW’s first letter to Heath, 2 March).