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A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1875
Journals of the Continental Congress --WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 1776
A letter from General Washington, of the 21 and,
A letter from Brigadier General Wooster, of the 26 were presented to Congress, and read:2
[Note 2: 2 This letter is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 152, II, folio 85. It is endorsed: "Read 26th, 27th. Read before Board of War and referred for farther consideration." The letter introduced the Chevalier de Kermorvan and M. de Vermonet. The letter of Wooster, dated June 26, is in No. 161, folio 313.]
Ordered, That the letter from Brigadier General Wooster be referred to the committee appointed to enquire into the causes of the miscarriages in Canada.
The Board of War brought in a report, which was taken into consideration; Whereupon,
Resolved, That Monsr Antoine Felix Weibert, who applies to be employed as an engineer in the continental service, be recommended to General Washington as a person who appears to be qualified to act in that capacity; but, as he asks no more at present than to be placed in a situation, in which he may be enabled to evidence his abilities, the General be desired to employ him in such
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way, as he shall judge will best conduce to the good of the service, and answer Mens. Weibert's request.
Resolved, Thatbeating warrants be forthwith made out to the following gentlemen be appointed officers of the batallion to be raised under Colonel Lewis Dubois; their commissions to be given them as soon as their complement of men shall be raised:
Jacobus S. Bruyn, lieutenant colonel; William Goforth, major; David Dubois, 1 captain, Elias Van Banschoten, 2d, Thomas De Witt, 3d, do., Isaac Wool, 4th do., Philip D. B. Bevier, 5th do., Richard Platt, 6th do., Albert Pawling, 7th do., and Cornelius T. Jansen, 8th do.; James Gregg, Aaron Austin, Jonathan Piercy, Evans Wherry, Garret Van Wagenan, Henry Vandenburg, Nathaniel Conklin, and Henry Dodge, as first lieutenants; Daniel Gano, as second lieutenant in the first company; John Coates, surgeon; and Henry Dubois, adjutant.
Resolved, That the president write to the convention of New York, and explain to them, the reasons that induced the Congress to enter into the foregoing resolutions; and to request the said convention to appoint the other officers of said batallion, and to use their best endeavours in equipping and forwarding the said batallion as soon as possible.1
[Note 1: 1 This action was reluctantly acquiesced in by the New York delegates in the Congress. In their letter to the New York Provincial Congress they thus explained the necessity:
"On receiving the late intelligence from Canada, respecting the repulse of the detachment of our army commanded by Gen. Thompson at Three Rivers, &c. the despatches containing this account, with the state of our army in Canada, were referred to the board of war, who, the same day, reported the necessity of reinforcing our army there with four regiments, &c; that to be raised in our Colony to be one; to expedite the raising of which, an arrangement of the officers was also reported and agreed to by Congress. We objected to this measure, and thought it our duty to withhold our assent, not only because it was, as we conceived, introducing a new precedent which might give offence, but might interfere with appointments which you might probably have made for the same regiment, in consequence of the former resolves. The pressing occasion and necessity of despatch were urged to support the measure; and it was alleged that as these appointments were made of particular persons who had merited it by former service, it interfered with no former rule; and even should the appointments be continued to the Provincial Congress, it would in this case only create unnecessary delay, as the same persons must be appointed by them to answer the design and meaning of this Congress expressed in their former resolve. We were persuaded, nay we are morally certain, considering the busy season of the year, which will enhance the wages of labourers, and the numbers of militia now in the service, that this regiment cannot possibly be raised in time to answer the end for which it is more particularly designed; and should our affairs in Canada grow worse, as we have reason to apprehend from present appearances, we feared lest delay, though unavoidable, and every misfortune which may befal our army in Canada, for want of a proper reinforcement, might by some be imputed to our Colony, notwithstandingyour earnest exertions to carry in execution this impracticable and, as we conceive, ineffectual measure. We judged it, therefore, most prudent only to mention our reasons for withholding our assent, without making a more pointed and strenuous opposition to the measure, thereby leaving the Colony in such a situation as not to incur any blame on this occasion." The letter was dated June 27, and was signed by George Clinton, Francis Lewis, William Floyd, Henry Wisher and John Alsop.Journal of the Proceedings of the New York Provincial Congress.]
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Resolved, That the Marine Committee be empowered to purchase the armed brigCatharine, with her guns, tackle, apparel and furniture, as she now lies in Connecticut.
The Committee of Claims reported, that there is due,
To Dr. Bond, the sum of £3 10=9 30/90 dollars for medicines and attendance for three Indians:
To Benjamin Armitage, for boarding and lodging Thomas Folmer, the Indian interpreter, twenty days, the sum of £4 12 1=12 25/90 dollars.
To Richard Cheneys, the sum of £1 16 10=4 82/90 dollars for victualling General Lee's guards, and that the same ought to be paid to John Morton, Esqr.
To Anthony Welte, for provisions supplied Captain Nelson's company, the sum of £6 16 6=18 18/90 dollars.
To Aaron Phips, the sum of £2 16 2=7 44/90 dollars for sundry expences of General Lee's guards:
To John Osborne, the sum of £3 0 0=8 dollars; of which sum 6 dollars is for three weeks boarding and
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lodging a sick soldier, and two dollars for a coffin for one of Captain Vanzant's men:
To George Hawes, for waggon hire, &c. carrying money to Cambridge at the time Mr. Franks went, the sum of £26 8 4=70 40/90 dollars,
To Messrs. Hanson, Donaldson, and Franks, for carrying money to the camp in March last, the sum of £89 7 4=238 28/90 dollars:
To Isaac Sorrel, the sum of £10 2 1=26 85/90 dollars; of which sum £4 0 9∥=10 69/90 dollars∥ is for the expences of the prisoners that were brought from North Carolina and the guard; the remainder is for the expences of the guard that went with the powder, &c. to Colonel Miles, at Marcus hook.
To Mr. Henry Hailer the sum of £242.1.4=645 46/90 Dollars, of which sum Captain John Nelson is to be charged
Ordered, That the said accounts be paid.
Resolved, That a bounty of ten dollars be given to every non-commissioned officer and soldier, who will inlist to serve for the term of three years.1
[Note 1: 1 This was W. 12. in the Jefferson report, printed under June 17, p. 451,ante.]
Resolved, That the resolutions passed yesterday, be enclosed to General Washington, and that he be desired to afford such assistance to the northern or Canada department, as he shall be enabled to do consistently with the safety of New York; and, from time to time, to give such directions as he may think expedient for the public service.
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A paragraph of a Letter from General Washington to one of the members, being laid before Congress, and read:
Resolved, That the same be referred to the Board of War and Ordnance.
Resolved, That the Secret Committee be directed to supply the Marine Committee with one ton of powder, for the use of the vessel which they were this morning empowered to purchase.
Resolved, That Michael Hillegas, Esqr. be empowered and directed to pay such sums of money as are or may be due to the several signers of continental bills of credit, for their services, agreeable to the resolve of Congress for that purpose.
The committee to whom ∥was referred∥ the petition of William Whiting, a soldier who was wounded in the continental army at Quebec, brought in their report, ∥which was read:∥ Whereupon,
Resolved, That the sum of twenty dollars be paid out of the public treasury to William Whiting, to enable him to return to his family at Norfolk, in Connecticut.
The committee on the treasury, to whom were referred the petition and accounts of Stephen Row Bradley, brought in their report: Whereupon,
Resolved, That there be paid to Stephen Row Bradley the sum of 691 ¼ dollars, for the service of himself and his company, from the 15 day of January to the 25th of February, during which time they were employed in the service of the continent.
The several matters to this day referred, being postponed,
Adjourned to 9 o'Clock to Morrow.
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