To induce men to enlist Congress was twice handicapped.

First, it had no power of taxation and could only ask the States to provide what it needed.

The second handicap was even greater.
When Congress offered bounties to those who enlisted in the Continental army, some of the States offered higher bounties for their own levies of militia, and one authority was bidding against the other.

This encouraged short-term enlistments.

If a man could re-enlist and again secure a bounty, he would gain more than if he enlisted at once for the duration of the war.
An army is an intricate mechanism needing the same variety of agencies that is required for the well-being of a community.