The reason was not lack of men, nor any ruinous exhaustion of resources; it was simple administrative anarchy (see CONFEDERATION, ARTICI FS OF), which could not collect and dis tribute the resources we possessed, and which left the soldiers half fed, less than half clothed, and for long periods unpaid. This was in creased by a jealous dread of the army itself (See CINCINNATI, SOCIETY OF THE), bred by historical experience which they had as yet no other to countervail; they appreciated victories, but were not inclined to pinch themselves • for daily supplies. In 1777 the soldiers' back pay was settled up in Continental money, at about 12 for one, though Massachusetts made good a part of the depreciation. Arrears steadily accumulated till the end of the war, though in 1778-79 a half-pay system for seven years was provided for the officers, and a gratuity of $80 for the men. In January 1781, the Pennsyl vania regulars struck, and were pacified with difficulty and by certificates for their pay; the New Jersey troops followed suit; and Congress in alarm made requisition on the States for $879,342 to pay the arrears. About half the amount came in, and Massachusetts and New Hampshire sent gratuities to their men; but the rest lagged. About this time the Articles of Confederation were adopted, making the con sent of nine States necessary for appropria tions; Congress was even more helpless than before; and as the time of a general disband ment drew near, the officers began to fear that it was intended to turn them off without paying them, and if they did not receive it while in the field they never would. Meantime Congress was debating the subject. The later Federalist party wished to fund the army dues as well as the other public debt, and give the army in terest-bearing certificates; the decentralizers wished to leave it to the States to settle each with their own troops. The officers, finding the half-pay project highly unpopular, wished to commute it for a lump sum, in cash or securities.
About this time, 10 March 1783, an anonymous letter called a meeting of the officers in camp at Newburg, and an anonymous address sug gested that if Congress refused justice, they should desert the country in a body, under Washington's lead. Washington denounced this
call as seditious, but called a meeting himself, at which his influence kept patriotism upper most; but he wrote urgently to Congress, and it finally agreed to commute the half-pay into five years' full pay in certificates at 6 per cent in terest. The States were very indignant at this, New England especially denouncing the whole scheme of half-pay: the Massachusetts legis lature passed a resolution that it tended to "raise and exalt some citizens in wealth and grandeur to the injury and oppression of others' The soldiers were furloughed on three months' pay till the British should evacuate New York, when they were discharged. The number of troops nominally furnished by each State is as follows: Massachusetts, 69,907; Connecticut, 31,939; Virginia, 25,678; Pennsylvania, 25,678; New York, 17,781; Maryland, 13,912; New Hamp shire, 12,497; New Jersey, 10,726; North Caro lina, 7,263; South Carolina, 6,417; Rhode Island, 5,908; Georgia, 2,679; Delaware, 2,386. Total, 231,791. Adjutant-generals: Horatio Gates of New York, Joseph Reed of Pennsylvania, Tim othy Pickering of Massachusetts, Alexander Scammell of New Hampshire, Edward Hand of Pennsylvania. Quartermaster-generals: Thomas Mifflin of Pennsylvania, Stephen Moylan of Pennsylvania, Mifflin again, Nathanael Greene of Rhode Island, Timothy Pickering of Massa chusetts. Commissary-generals: Joseph Trum bull of Connecticut, Jeremiah Wadsworth of Connecticut, Ephraim Blaine of Pennsylvania. Director-generals of hospitals : Benjamin Church of Massachusetts, John Morgan of Pennsyl vania, William Shippen of Pennsylvania, John Cochran of New Jersey. Paymaster-generals: William Palfrey of Massachusetts, William Pierce of Georgia. Inspector-generals: Thomas Conway, Baron Steuben. Chief engineers: Louis L. Du Portail, Thaddeus Kosciusko. See ARMY OF THE UNITED STATES.