Henry Knox To Benjamin Lincoln About Moving Artificers From The Artillery Park 6 January 1782

Marked copy. Writes in response to receiving from Lincoln a proposal by Colonel Timothy Pickering to send the artificers from the park of artillery to General Nathanael Greene's Southern Army. Writes that this proposal was 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 mining all prospects of advantage from the Artillery in the operating of the next campaign. Argues that their artificers have been working under the same officers for a long time and have developed a high level of expertise. Declares also that their skill is necessary to perform repairs at their current location. Comments that difficulty in finding men for the Southern campaign is not sufficient reason for removing the artificers from the artillery park.