18.] Then too there was no discipline, for the army was composed of raw militia, who elected their officers and carried on war as they pleased.

In a passage suppressed by Mr.Sparks, Washington said: "There is no such thing as getting officers of this stamp to carry orders into execution--to curry favor with the men (by whom they were chosen, and on whose smile they may possibly think that they may again rely) seems to be one of the principal objects of their attention.
I have made a pretty good slam amongst such kind of officers as the Massachusetts government abounds in, since I came into this camp, having broke one colonel and two captains for cowardly behavior in the action on Bunker Hill, two captains for drawing more pay and provisions than they had men in their company, and one for being absent from his post when the enemy appeared there and burnt a house just by it.

Besides these I have at this time one colonel, one major, one captain, and two subalterns under arrest for trial.

In short, I spare none, and yet fear it will not all do, as these people seem to be too attentive to everything but their own interests." This may be plain and homely in phrase, but it is not stilted, and the quick energy of the words shows how the New England farmers and fishermen were being rapidly brought to discipline.

Bringing the army into order, however, was but a small part of his duties.