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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 --MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1776
Sundry letters were laid before Congress, and read:
One, of the 14th, from General Washington;
One of the 9th, from General Schuyler, enclosing one of the 6 from General Gates;
One, of the 2d, from General Gates, with sundry papers enclosed.
Resolved, That the foregoing letters be referred to the Board of War.
A letter, of the 2d, from General Schuyler, was also read"2
[Note 2: 2 The letter of Washington is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 152, II, folio 551. It is printed inWritings of Washington (Ford), IV, 402. That of Schuyler, of September 2, is in No. 153, II, 325. That of Gates, of the 6th, is in the same number, folio 329. Schuyler's, of the 9th, is in folio 364. The letter of Gates, of September 2, is in No. 154, I, folio 59.]
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Resolved, That this be referred to the Committee on Indian affairs.
There being sundry vacancies in Colonel Warner's batallion, Congress proceeded to the election of officers to fill the same:
John Fasset and--M'Une were elected captains in the room of John Grant and Jacob Vorsborough, who have declined to accept their commissions, on account of their ill-state of health;
Joseph Safford, Thomas Ransom, John Chipman, and Robert Torrence, first lieutenants in the room of [William] Dean, deceased, Woolbridge and Allen who decline serving, and J. Fassett promoted; Benjamin Hopkins, adjutant.
Resolved, That there be an addition of three brigadiers general in the continental army;
The ballots being taken, the following gentlemen were chosen: viz., Christopher Gadsden, Esqr. William Moultrie, Esqr. and Lachlan M'Intosh, Esqr.
A letter, of the 31 of August, from Brigadier General Lewis, and
A letter the 30 August from William Rickman, director of the hospital in the southern department, were laid before Congress, and read:1
[Note 1: 1 The letter of Lewis is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No 159, folio 250.]
Resolved, That the letter from W. Rickman, be referred to the Medical Committee.
Resolved, That 50,000 dollars be advanced to the delegates of Georgia, for the use of the continental troops in that state, the said delegates to be accountable.
Resolved, That to Morrow be assigned for appointing commissioners to audit the public accounts in Virginia.
It being represented by the delegates of North Carolina, that, from late accounts, ∥it appears, that∥ the situation
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of affairs in that state is such, that it will be dangerous, if not impracticable, to execute the resolution of Congress of the 3d instant, ordering two of the North Carolina batallions, under the command of Brigadier General Moore, to march to reinforce the army at New York; Whereupon,
Resolved, That it be left to the discretion of the council of safety of North Carolina, to execute or suspend that resolution, according as they shall think it most conducive to the public service, and the safety of their particular state:Provided,, nevertheless, that they shall not have power to stop Brigadier General Moore from repairing to New York.
Agreeable to order, Congress resolved itself into a committee of the whole, to take into consideration the report of the Board of War; and, after some time, the president resumed the chair, and Mr. [Thomas] Nelson reported, the committee have had under consideration the report of the Board of War, and have made sundry amendments, which they ordered him to lay before Congress:
Congress then took into consideration the report of the Board of War, with the amendments offered by the committee of the whole; and, thereupon, came to the following resolutions:
That eighty eight batallions be inlisted as soon as possible, to serve during the present war, and that each state furnish their respective quotas in the following proportions, viz.
That twenty dollars be given as a bounty to each noncommissioned officer and private soldier, who shall inlist
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to serve during the present war, unless sooner discharged by Congress:
That Congress make provision for granting lands, in the following proportions: to the officers and soldiers who shall so engage in the service, and continue therein to the close of the war, or until discharged by Congress, and to the representatives of such officers and soldiers as shall be slain by the enemy:
Such lands to be provided by the United States, and whatever expence shall be necessary to procure such land, the said expence shall be paid and borne by the states in the same proportion as the other expences of the war, viz.
To a colonel, 500 acres; to a lieutenant colonel, 450; to a major, 400; to a captain, 300; to a lieutenant, 200; to an ensign, 150; each non-commissioned officer and soldier, 100:
That the appointment of all officers, and filling up vacancies, (except general officers) be left to the governments of the several states, and that every state provide arms, cloathing, and every necessary for its quota of troops, according to the foregoing estimate: The expence of the cloathing to be deducted from the pay of the soldiers, as usual:
That all officers be commissioned by Congress:
That it be recommended to the several states, that they take the most speedy and effectual measures for inlisting their several quotas:
That the money to be given for bounties be paid by the pay master in the department where the soldier shall inlist:
That each soldier receive pay and subsistence from the time of their inlistment.1
[Note 1: 1 Printed in thePennsylvania Gazette, 25 September, 1776.]
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The Committee of Treasury reported that there is due,
To Adam Zantzinger, for the expence of 5 light horse escorting money to New York, and one from thence to Albany, ninety four dollars and 64/90 of a dollar.
To John Bates, for 300 camp kettles delivered to Gustavus Risberg, A.D. Q. M. G. four hundred dollars:
To Philip Baker, for 289 meals of victuals, supplied Captains Grief and Nelson's companies of continental troops, 18 31/90 dollars:
To David Tryon, William Green, Peter Peterson, George Landers, and Samuel Brush, for the hire of their shallops, with continental troops and baggage, from Wilmington to Trenton, 104 dollars:
Ordered, That the above accounts be paid.
Resolved, That to Morrow be assigned for taking into consideration the articles of war.
The several matters to this day referred, being postponed,
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.
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