[draft] Philadelphia 6th Jan.y 1782 Sir I thank you for communicating to me, Colonel Pickering's letter of the 20th ultimo, wherein he urges that the artificers attached to the Park of Artillery should be sent to the Southern Army. I beg leave to observe that this proposal is made, without a sufficiency of knowledge or due consideration of the service these artificers have to perform; and cannot be complied with in any degree, without ruining all prospects of advantage from the Artillery in the operations of the next campaign. This will appear clear when it shall be consider'd, that they have to new mount all the howitzers, and a considerable proportion of the [inserted: strikeout large] Cannon taken from the Enemy at York Town, and to put in proper order the field Artillery requisite for the ensuing campaign, [2] the [inserted: strikeout light] Artillery which was carried to Virginia last summer has been forwarded to [struck: him] [inserted: General Greene] or deposited in that state [inserted: the peices] [struck: it] being in perfect order [struck: which] the peices [sic] taken from the enemy want to be new mounted, a stand in need of great repairs. The proposal could not have been made with propriety if the Quarter Master General had reflected that he has deprived the park at different periods for the Southern Service, of nearly all the ammunition Waggons and Trumbrills [struck: in possession] they had in possession and that others must be made to replace them. The idea that the Artificers now attached to the park may be sent to the Southward and others enlisted [strikeout] [inserted: in] [their] places will not bear examination. These men have been closely engaged since last March to the particular business of making carriages and other work peculiar to the Artillery, and [3] under the unremitting attention of their officers [struck: who also are competent to the business] have acquired, so great a degree of perfection as to render their loss irreparable. The difficulty of obtaining men now to go to the Southward cannot be a sufficient reason for obliging these artificers to march there. The Seige of Charleston is said to be an object for next campaign, if so will the difficulty be less [then] to obtain artificers [struck: to supply the deficiency] [inserted: who are equal to the work] of the Artillery, than it is now for [inserted: strikeout common duty] I [struck: suppose] [inserted: presume] [struck: the QM generals knowledge is not so contracted as to suppose a siege can be carried on without artificers] It is true that the artillery artificers are the remains of [Baldwins] regiment- But they were put under my orders by his Excellency the Commander in chief in consequence of powers given to him by Congress. I believe [4] they are uncommonly well satisfied with the change and too much pleased with their present officers [strikeout] to willingly undertake a march to Carolina to return under their old officer Captain Pendleton [struck: It] It may be necessary just to mention that there are about forty of these men attached to the Park, and between twenty and thirty to West Point to execute the [struck: numerous] various repairs [struck: and other matters] in the [ordnance] department in that important post I hesitated whether I should give a serious answer to a proposal so [illegible] of the good of the service but I [struck: reflected] considered that although you know how essentially necessary these artificers are to forward the prospects of the next campaign, yet it [struck: was] [inserted: is] certain there [struck: were some persons] [inserted: others] [5] who [struck: do] [inserted: do] not. I sincerely wish General Greene to have every assistance he requires but it would be a misapplication of the talents of artificers who have attained a knowledge [struck: which] in a particular [branch] which cannot be learnt [inserted: without] much practice to take them from duties which are important, [struck: to] to do the common [inserted: business] [struck: duties] of the QM generals department in [strikeout] Army. I presume there are a sufficient number of artificers [inserted: that part of the 4th regt] in the [struck: Corps] of artillery lately sent to general Greene to keep the [few] peices he has in repair [struck: I have the honor] I have [inserted: the honor] to be sir Your most Obedient Humble Servt HKnox BG Artil The honorable Genl. Lincoln Secy. at War. [docket] To General Lincoln to Jany. 1782 respecting the Q M Generals demand of the [Ar] Artificers.