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I must likewise most humbly recommend him for approbation. If, however, in a matter of months, this unit should not markedly improve, I intend to place its training under and include it in Christiansted’s Citizen’s Company as there are several inconveniences inherent in having the citizen’s militias in the towns divided up into several small parts as opposed to comprising a whole.-
All quarters captains who, according to the circumstances maintain their companies in tolerable order, I must most humbly recommend for Your Majesty’s most gracefull approbation, with the exception of George Gosling whom I consider unfit to command, wherefore, I most humbly dare to propose that the position may remain vacant for some time as Abraham Heiliger, who has been colonel guardmaster in the service of His Royal Majesty the Emperor of Austria, and whom I know as a resourceful and capable man and whom, should he desire to take over the company, I shall most humbly propose. Captain Gosling must then be employed á la suite.
Of colonial adjutants there were just two, Kortright and Krause, but as these positions have solely been sought as exemptions to active duty and therefore given to wealthy people or favorites, it naturally follows that they do not understand anything or would do nothing in the service. As, in my view, the militia is something other than a toy in our sparsely manned colonies and I therefore have treated and taken it seriously, I have found the necessity for an adjutant who understands both Danish and English /the aforementioned understands only English :/ and who is experienced, and my choice then settled on retired lieutenant Hans Christian v. Knudsen, who has long served Your Majesty, first as non-commissioned officer in the artillery, where his superior at the time, lieutenant colonel v. Stabell, was especially satisfied with him, and subsequently, after a hard imprisonment in England, as officer in the navy and Copenhagen’s infantry regiment, for which service his superior, major general v. Scheelenborg, will give him a good testimony, and whom I now, therefore, most humbly recommend for Your Royal Majesty’s grace together with the adjutant Christian Krause.-
Concerning the previous adjutant, Cornelius Kortright, he has too many irons in the fire for one to expect any service from him and I have not attempted to use him and I therefore most humbly propose that he might be employed á la suite at the Prince’s Quarter Company if Your Royal Majesty pleases, as he is adjutant, wealthy, and related to respected families of the country, with rank of captain.-
It would appear under certain circumstances that it could also be usefull for the governor general to have an adjutant on St. Thomas, and should it most humbly please Your Majesty so to decide, the lieutenant á la suite Christian Goldmann is hereby proposed.- |