| PREVIOUS | NEXT | NEW SEARCH |
A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1875
Journals of the Continental Congress --TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 1776
Sundry letters were laid before Congress, and read, viz.
A letter from General Washington of the 16, enclosing
A letter from General Ward of the 9th, and Wm. Palfrey of the 16th.
3 letters from General Schuyler of the 11 and 12:3
[Note 3: 3 The letter of Washington is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 152, II, folio 37. A second letter, dated the 17th, was read on the same day, and is in the same volume, folio 67. It is endorsed "private." Schuyler's letter of the 11th is in No. 153, II, folio 208.]
One letter from Brigadier General Sullivan of the 5 and 6, with three papers enclosed; and
2 from Brigadier General Arnold of the 5 and 6:
Resolved, That the foregoing letters and papers be referred to the Board of War and Ordnance.
A letter from William Palfrey, Paymaster General, of the 16 June, with a weekly return, ∥was read:∥
Resolved, That this be referred to the superintendents of the treasury.
A letter from Joseph Trumbull, commissary general, of the 17, informing, that he has found it necessary to order a quantity of flour to be purchased in Philadelphia, and that to pay for the same, he has drawn on the president
Page 460 | Page image
in favour of Mr. Matthew Irwin, for 60,000 dollars; and, as he shall be under the necessity of giving orders for purchasing pork and flour in Philadelphia, desiring to know whether he may, from time to time, [continue] to draw on the president for the payment of those articles.1
[Note 1: 1 This letter is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 78, XXII, folio 49.]
Resolved, That the president be directed to pay such bills as are or may be drawn by Joseph Trumbull, Esqr for the purpose abovementioned, and that the same, as paid, be charged to his account.
A letter from the committee of safety of Pensylvania, requesting the opinion of Congress, whether persons taken on board merchants' ships and river craft, ought to be exchanged for seamen taken from the enemy's ships of war?2
[Note 2: 2 This letter is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 69, I, folio 141.]
Resolved, That the president inform the committee of safety that the Congress judge it improper that such an exchange should take place.3
[Note 3: 3 This concerned the exchange of Budden and Draper. See p. 399,ante.]
Resolved, That Gunning Bedford, Esqr. deputy muster master general, be promoted to the rank of muster master general, and that he be directed immediately to repair to head quarters at New York.
Resolved, That General Washington be empowered and directed, to nominate and send a deputy muster master general to Canada.
Resolved, That two members be added to the board for superintending the treasury.
The ballots being taken, Mr. [Joseph] Hewes, and Mr. [Thomas] M'Kean were elected.
A memorial from Dr. [John] Morgan, director general and chief physician of the Hospital, was laid before Congress, and read:4
[Note 4: 4 This memorial is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 41, VI, folio 3.]
Page 461 | Page image
Resolved, That it be referred to the committee appointed to provide medicines.
The committee to whom the report on the resolutions of the convention of South Carolina, respecting the batallions raised in that colony, were recommitted, brought in their report, which was taken into consideration: Whereupon, the Congress came to the following resolutions:
Whereas the Congress, on the 4th day of November last, resolved, that for the defence of South Carolina, there be kept up in that colony, at the continental expence, three batallions of foot; each batallion to consist of the same number of men and officers, to be upon the same pay, and under the same regulations as the continental army; and, on the 25 day of March last, resolved, that the convention, or council of safety of South Carolina, be permitted to raise and embody two other batallions, and that they be on the pay, and at the expence of the continent, as soon as they shall be armed fit for service, and accordingly mustered; and whereas the convention of South Carolina, on the 22d day of February last, ordered that their council of safety return the thanks of that colony to the Continental Congress for their attention to its security; that they state the peculiar circumstances and the heavy expences which have been and will be incurred by that colony in the measures necessary for their defence, and that they request the Continental Congress to allow that colony so much money as the expences of three batallions, upon the continental establishment, would amount to for one year, and to give continental rank to the officers of the three regiments raised in June, and of the regiment of artillery raised in November, from the dates of their respective commissions, or at least from
Page 462 | Page image
the fourth day of November, when they resolved to allow that colony three batallions; and whereas, the delegates from that colony in Congress, have represented the peculiar circumstances and heavy expences of that colony; and that the troops raised in it were inlisted for three years, upon a different establishment of pay, and under different articles of war, so as to render it inconvenient to place them, in all respects, upon the continental establishment; therefore,
Resolved, That the batallion of artillery, and the two other batallions of foot, raised in South Carolina, and kept up in that colony for the defence of the same, be considered as continental forces, and allowed the same pay, rations and disbursements as other forces on the continental establishment:
That the two batallions, under the command of the Colonels Gadsden and Moultrie, be allowed all the advantages of the continental establishment, from the 4th day of November last, and the regiment of artillery, from the time when the same was ordered to be raised by the Provincial Congress or convention of South Carolina:
That the two batallions of rifflemen, raised in and for the defence of the said colony, be considered as continental troops from the 25 day of March last, and be entitled to all the advantages of the same:
That all the above mentioned troops be liable to the articles for the government of the forces in the said colony:
That the said forces be continued on the continental establishment until the expiration of their inlistment, unless they shall be sooner disbanded by Congress:
That not more than one third of the effective men of the abovementioned forces be ordered out of the said
Page 463 | Page image
colony, without the express order of Congress or the consent of the president of that colony.1
[Note 1: 1 "Enclosed are the resolutions of Congress respecting our Provincial forces. We wish they may be agreeable to your Excellency, to our Assembly, and to the officers of our Army; if they are not, there is nothing compulsory in them. Congress would not strictly comply with the request we were ordered to make on this subject, lest they should establish a precedent which might be injurious to the general interest of America. We have, therefore, been obliged to vary our application, and to adopt such resolutions as seemed most likely to give satisfaction to the officers Of our Army."South Carolina Delegates in Congress to President Rutledge, 9 July, 1776.]
Resolved, That Mr. [Thomas] Heyward, [Jr.] and Mr. [Lyman] Hall be added to the committee for providing medicines.
Resolved, That Mr. [John] Rodgers, be appointed a member of the marine committee.
Resolved, That a commissioner be appointed to settle in Canada the debts due on certificates, given by officers to the Canadians for carriages and other services; and to settle the accounts for such goods, as may have been seized, through necessity, for the use of the army;and that the same as soon as liquidated be returned to the Board of Treasury, to be by them finally confirmed and discharged. that it be given in instruction to him, to attend particularly to the case of Mr. Bernard; and that, in settling the certified debts, he state carefully the names of all those who have given certificates, the nature of the service, and the time when performed, and return the whole, when settled and stated, to the committee of treasury, to be by them examined and discharged:
Resolved, That the deputy pay master general be directed to transmit to Congress copies of the particulars before mentioned on the original certificates, with the report and remarks of the Commissioners thereon.2
[Note 2: 2 These two paragraphs included C. 2, 3, and 4 of the Jefferson report on p. 450,ante. The second paragraph was not adopted by Congress.]
That Thursday next be assigned for electing the said commissioner.
Page 464 | Page image
Resolved, That no man in these colonies, charged with being a tory, or unfriendly to the cause of American liberty, be injured in his person or property, or in any manner whatever disturbed, unless the proceeding against him be founded on an order of this Congress, or the Assembly, convention, council or committee of safety of the colony, or committee of inspection and observation, of the district wherein he resides; provided, that this resolution shall not prevent the apprehending any person found in the commission of some act destructive of American liberty, or justly suspected of a design to commit such act, and intending to escape, and bringing such person before proper authority for examination and trial.
Ordered, To be published.1
[Note 1: 1 Printed in thePennsylvania Gazette, 19 June, 1776.]
Information being given, that some of the officers, who were prisoners at Lebanon, in the colony of Pensylvania, have, in violation of the parole by them given and subscribed, made their escape,
Resolved, That it be referred to the Board of War and Ordnance to consider what steps are necessary to be taken on the occasion.
The several matters to this day referred, being postponed,
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.
PREVIOUS SECTION .. NEXT SECTION .. NAVIGATOR
| PREVIOUS | NEXT | NEW SEARCH |