To Alexander Hamilton from William Ward Burrows, 27 May 1800
From William Ward Burrows
Philada. May 27th. 1800
Dear sir,
I shall be oblig’d to you if you will permit Lt. Reynolds who will be the Bearer of this to recruit 100 Men out of your Camp.1 As it is for the publick Good, and some Advantage to the Men themselves, I hope he will meet with your protection.
I never got an answer to two letters which I wrote to the Person, about whom, we corresponded,2 when you were at New York, nor any kind of acknowledgement for what I did.
I got a letter yesterday from Genl. Pinckney who is well, but he did not at the time of dating, know of the late Act of Congress.3
I have the Honor to be Your obed sert.
W W Burrows
LS, Hamilton Papers, Library of Congress.
1. Michael Reynolds was a lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps, of which Burrows was the commanding officer.
The “Camp” which Burrows is referring to was the Union Camp at Scotch Plains, New Jersey, which H was visiting. See H to Aaron Ogden, May 8, 1800, note 1. Since the troops at Scotch Plains were to be discharged on June 14, 1800, Burrows hoped that the Marine Corps could recruit some of them. For the need for additional marines, see Benjamin Stoddert to Josiah Parker, March 10, 1800 (, 287–88).
2. William S. Smith. See H to Burrows, March 10, 1800.
3. “An Act supplementary to the act to suspend part of an act, intituled ‘An act to augment the Army of the United States, and for other purposes’” ( 85–86 [May 14, 1800]). For the text of this act, see H to Nathan Rice, May 13, 1800, note 1.