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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 --FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1776
Resolved, That the of sum 3,333 1/3 dollars be advanced to Mr. James Nourse, for the use of the militia of Berkley and Frederic counties, in Virginia, who are about to march to reinforce General Washington; the said Mr. J. Nourse to be accountable for the expenditure.
Resolved, That the resolution passed the 3d of December, granting a pair of shoes and stockings to the militia of Pensylvania, and by which they are entitled to the same rations and the same monthly pay with the other troops on the continental establishment, to commence from the time of their enrolment, be extended to the Virginia militia, who march to reinforce General Washington.
Sundry letters were read, viz.
One of the 23, from Mr. R. Morris; one, of the 3, from General Schuyler, at Saratoga; one from Henricus Godet, of St. Eustatia, of November 30; one, of the 18, from Richard Dallam, deputy pay master general, at Newtown, in Bucks county, Pensylvania; one, of the 5, from Jonathan Trumbull; one, of the 25 November, from Joseph Trumbull; a petition from Faneuil and others, to the assembly of Massachusetts bay, and a resolution passed by the said assembly in consequence thereof.1
[Note 1: 1 The letter of Robert Morris is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 137 (appendix), folio 25. That of Schuyler is in No. 153, II, folio 505. That of Godet is in No. 78, X, folio 53. That of Dallam is in No. 78, VII, folio 91. That of Joseph Trumbull is in No. 78, XXII, folio 175. The petition from Faneuil, Marec, Coppin de la Garde, and Binnal de Laboulbine, is in No. 42, III, folio 13.]
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The committee on the state of the army, brought in their report, which was taken into consideration; Whereupon,
Resolved, That a brigadier general of artillery be appointed; and, the ballots being taken,
Colonel Henry Knox was elected.
Resolved, That General Washington be empowered to use every endeavour, by giving bounties and otherwise, to prevail upon the troops, whose time of inlistment shall expire at the end of the month, to stay with the army so long after that period, as its situation shall render their stay necessary:
That the new levies in Virginia, Maryland, the Delaware state, Pensylvania, and New Jersey, be ordered to march by companies, and parts of companies, as fast as they shall be raised, and join the army under General Washington, with the utmost despatch:
That the foregoing resolution be transmitted by the president to the executive powers of the states before mentioned, who are requested to carry it into execution; to appoint commissaries to precede the troops, and procure provision for them on their march; and that they be empowered to draw money for this purpose from the nearest continental pay master:
That General Washington be empowered to appoint a commissary of prisoners, and a cloathier general for supplying the army; to fix their salaries, and return their names to Congress:
That General Washington be requested to fix upon that system of promotion in the continental army, which, in his opinion, and that of the general officers with him, will produce most general satisfaction; that it be suggested to him, whether a promotion of field officers in the colonial line, and of captains and subalterns in the regimental line, would not be the most proper:
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That the Committee of Congress of Philadelphia be desired to contract with proper persons for erecting at Carlisle, in Pensylvania, a magazine sufficient to contain ten thousand stand of arms and two hundred tons of gun powder, and also for erecting an elaboratory adjacent to such magazine.
That the council of Massachusetts bay be desired to contract with proper persons for erecting in the town of Brookfield in that state, a magazine sufficient to contain ten thousand stand of arms and two hundred tons of gun powder, and also for erecting an elaboratory adjacent to such magazine.
That Congress approve of General Washington's directing the quarter master general to provide teams for each regiment, and for other necessary purposes:
That the Committee of Secret Correspondence be desired to direct the Commissioners at the Court of France to procure, if possible, from that Court an hundred thousand stand of small arms.
That the 2d and 7th Virginia regiments, with all the convalescents from the other corps left in that state, and now fit for duty, be ordered to march and join the army under General Washington, with the utmost despatch, leaving the arms that they have at present, with the governor and council of that state, as they will be provided with others at the Head of Elk:
That three of the regiments, upon the new establishment, in North Carolina, be ordered to march immediately into Virginia, and put themselves under the direction of the officer commanding there; and that during the interval between the march of the Virginia regiment and the arrival of those from North Carolina to join General Washington:
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That the state of Virginia be empowered to call into service, at the continental expence, three regiments of militia, or minute men, if such a measure shall be, by that state, judged necessary.
The unjust, but determined, purpose of the British court to enslave these free states, obvious through every delusive insinuation to the contrary, having placed things in such a situation, that the very existence of civil liberty now depends on the right execution of military powers, and the vigorous, decisive conduct of these, being impossible to distant, numerous, and deliberative bodies:
This Congress, having maturely considered the present crisis; and having perfect reliance on the wisdom, vigour, and uprightness of General Washington, do, hereby,
Resolve, That General Washington shall be, and he is hereby, vested with full, ample, and complete powers to raise and collect together, in the most speedy and effectual manner, from any or all of these United States, 16 batallions of infantry, in addition to those already voted by Congress; to appoint officers for the said batallions; to raise, officer, and equip three thousand light horse; three regiments of artillery, and a corps of engineers, and to establish their pay; to apply to any of the states for such aid of the militia as he shall judge necessary; to form such magazines of provisions, and in such places, as he shall think proper; to displace and appoint all officers under the rank of brigadier general, and to fill up all vacancies in every other department in the American armies; to take, wherever he may be, whatever he may want for the use of the army, if the inhabitants will not sell it, allowing a reasonable price for the same; to arrest and confine persons who refuse to take the continental currency, or are otherwise disaffected to the American
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cause; and return to the states of which they are citizens, their names, and the nature of their offences, together with the witnesses to prove them:
That the foregoing powers be vested in General Washington, for and during the term of six months from the date hereof, unless sooner determined by Congress.
Resolved, That the council of safety of Pensylvania be requested to take the most vigorous and speedy measures for punishing all such as shall refuse continental currency; and that the General be directed to give all necessary aid to the council of safety, for carrying their measures on this subject into effectual execution.
Mr. Hillegas having returned the names of persons ∥by him employed∥ to superintend the press, and to sign the bills of credit, they were agreed to; and are,
Superintendents of the press: Thomas Harrison, William Smith, and John Merryman, Junior.
Signers of money: John Smith, William Buchanan, William Lux, Daniel Bowley, William Asquith, John Griffith, Hercules Courtney, John Moale, John Cokey, James Kelso, Richard Cromwell, Thomas Sellors, William Wilkinson, James Colhoun, John McHenry, John McLure, Jonathan Hudson, Thomas Russel, George Welsh, Theodore Barrell, Thomas Donnellan, John Boyd, Benjamin Levy, David Stuart, George Lux, Jacob Hart, Samuel Hillegas, and William Govett.
Resolved, That 266 2/3 dollars be advanced to John Griffith, for the use of the sick soldiers in Baltimore; he to be accountable.
The several matters to this day referred, being postponed,
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.
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