A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1875
Journals of the Continental Congress --WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 1777
Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789
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Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789
WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 1777
Link to date-related documents.On motion,
Resolved, That a copy of the complaint lodged with the Marine Committee, against Commodore Hopkins, be delivered to Mr. [William] Ellery, for the said Commodore Hopkins.1
[Note 1: 1 In the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 36, I, folio 8, in the writing of William Duer, is the following motion. It was presented May 13, and postponed:
"Resolved, That a Special Commission be made out for instituting a Court of Inquiry to examine into the Conduct of Esek Hopkins Esq., Commodore in the Navy of the United States, the said Court to consist of the Commissioners of the Navy in the Eastern Department and of
"That the Court so instituted be directed and authorized to report to Congress the Result of their Inquiry into the Conduct of Commodore Hopkins with all possible Despatch, in order that Congress may adopt such Measures in Consequence as to them shall appear most conducive to the public Welfare."]
A letter of the 9th, from General Washington, with sundry papers enclosed, was read:2
[Note 2: 2 This letter is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 152, IV, folio 165. It is printed in Writings of Washington (Ford), V, 364.]
Ordered, That the same be referred to the Committee on Foreign Applications.
Resolved, That an order for ten thousand dollars be drawn on the treasurer at Baltimore, in favour of Robert
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Cummins, for supplying provisions to the troops passing through that town; he to be accountable.
That Mr. Cummins be directed to make up his accounts, and lay the same before the commissioners for claims at Philadelphia; and that he be directed to make no further purchases without the special orders of Congress.
The Board of War reported, "that they have enquired into the situation of Captain Craig's troop, and find there are no deserters from the enemy, or prisoners of war therein:
"That the Virginia soldiers, who served in the continental service, last winter, under General Washington, be allowed cloaths, agreeable to the General's directions, in consideration of the hardships they endured, and the services they have rendered."1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, I, folio 163.]
Resolved, That the said report be agreed to.
The Committee of Treasury, on a representation to them made by the managers of the lottery of the United States, brought in a report, which was taken into consideration; Whereupon,
Resolved, That treasury bank notes, for prizes which shall be drawn in the first class of the United States' lottery, of the denominations required by the scheme, be immediately prepared by the Board of Treasury; that the said notes be in the following form:
Number.Dollars.Number.
Dollars. The United States of America acknowledge themselves United States' Lottery. to be indebted toindollars, being for a prize of that value, drawn in the United States' lottery, which they promise to pay to the saidor bearer, on theday ofwith interest annually, at the rate of four per cent. agreeable to a resolution of the United States, passed the eighteenth day of November, 1776.
Countersigned.
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That such notes be signed by Michael Hillegas, Esqr. treasurer of the United States, or by his son, Samuel Hillegas, and countersigned by any one of the managers of the lottery, and numbered, from number one, progressively:
That the cash prizes in the three first classes of the lottery, shall be paid by the managers, and the treasury bank notes for the other prizes issued by them:
That the pre-emption of such tickets, in the next succeeding class, as shall not be renewed within the time limited in the scheme of the lottery, shall be granted to the fortunate adventurers in the preceding class, according to the order of their application:
That the managers of the lottery of the United States be directed, in cases of doubt or difficulty, to apply for advice to the Board of Treasury, who are empowered and directed to give the said managers such advice and directions respecting the drawing and conducting the business of the said lottery, as they shall judge prudent and expedient.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, I, folio 165.]
A petition, signed Seth Sweetser, town clerk, in behalf of the town of Charlestown, ∥in Massachusetts Bay,∥ was read:2
[Note 2: 2 This petition is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 42, II, folio 23.]
Ordered, That the same be referred to a Committee of three.
The members chosen, Mr. [Charles] Carroll, Mr. [Thomas] Heyward, and Mr. J[onathan] B[ayard] Smith.
The committee on the commissary's department brought in a report, which was read:
Ordered, To lie on the table for consideration.
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Congress resumed the consideration of the report on the quarter master general's department; Whereupon,
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Resolved, 1. That the quarter master general of the army be authorized and empowered to appoint one commissary of forage for the army, and one for each of the military departments thereof, with such and so many forage masters as he shall judge necessary.
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2. That the duty of the commissary of forage shall be to purchase such quantities of forage, and store the same in such magazines as the quarter master general, or the deputy quarter master general, of any department, shall, from time to time, order and direct. That the commissaries shall conform themselves in making purchases to such rules and regulations as shall be prescribed to them by the quarter master general, or deputy quarter master general of the department to which they shall severally belong.
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3. That all forage purchased by any commissary of forage, and delivered into any magazine, shall be received by the forage master thereunto appointed, who shall give his receipts therefor, specifying the sort, quantity, and quality, as a voucher for the commissary of forage, to be by him produced to the quarter master general or deputy quarter master general of the department in support of his account.
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4. That the commissaries of forage shall make a monthly return to the quarter master general or deputy quarter master general of the department, of all forage by them purchased, specifying to what forage master, and into which magazine the same was delivered, that the forage master may stand charged therewith.
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5. That no forage master, to whose care any magazine of forage shall be committed, shall issue any part thereof unless by a written order of the commander in chief, the commander in chief of the department, the commanding officer of the post where such magazine may be established, the quarter master general or deputy quarter master general of the department, or one of his assistants, the waggon master general, or any other waggon master; such orders to specify for whose use the forage is intended; and every such order to be filed by the forage master, and a regular entry thereof made in a book to be by him kept for that purpose, as a voucher for the expenditure of the forage by him received.
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6. That the forage masters shall make monthly returns to the quarter master general and deputy quarter master general, of the departments
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they belong to, of the state of their magazines, specifying the quantity left in store at the first and every succeeding return, the quantity received since the last return, the expenditure since such return, and what remains on hand.
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7. And whereas it frequently happens that there is a necessity to detain hired carriages, the owners whereof were to find their own forage, far beyond the time for which the owners thereof agreed to serve, and who, if their own forage is expended, must have recourse to the public magazines, it is resolved, that such persons so detained and become destitute of forage, shall, upon the written order of any of the officers mentioned in the fifth resolution, be supplied out of the public magazines; and that the waggon master, before he signs the discharge for any such hired carriage, shall direct the forage master to endorse thereon the quantity, sort and quality of the forage furnished such person, that the same may be deducted out of the wages due to the owner of such hired carriage; all which deductions shall, by the quarter master general or deputy quarter master general of the department, be carried to the credit of the forage masters' account, who shall have furnished the forage.
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8. That if the commissary of forage in any department should be ordered to procure such large quantities of forage as to render it impossible for him to do it without assistance, the quarter master general or deputy quarter master general of the department shall direct one or more of his assistants to aid the commissary of forage, pointing out the districts in which they are severally to purchase, that one may not enhance the price by bidding above another.
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9. Whereas, notwithstanding the orders that have been from time to time issued by general officers of our army, to prevent the loss and embezzlement of intrenching tools, and other military stores, great waste hath been made; to prevent which, for the future, it is resolved, that every commissary of stores, store keeper, or person to whose charge and care any military stores of what kind soever shall be committed, shall pass his receipt for, and stand charged to be accountable for the same, and shall not issue any of them without taking a receipt therefor, the receiver promising to be accountable: and if any person having received any such stores, shall lose or embezzle the same, the commissary, store keeper, or person by whom they were delivered, shall charge him with the value thereof, and transmit a copy of such charge to the pay master general or deputy pay master general of the department, who is to charge the same to the pay master of the corps
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such person may belong to, unless it shall appear that such loss happened without any blameable negligence or omission: and if any person in the continental service shall sell or otherwise dispose of any stores committed to his care, without a written order for so doing, issued by the commander in chief or commander in chief of the department, or by a general officer commanding at a separate post, he shall be punished for theft.
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10. That the waggon master general of the army, or waggon master in any of the departments thereof, shall receive from the quarter master general or deputy quarter master general of any department, all such horses, cattle, and carriages as the service may require; and that neither the waggon master general, or any other waggon master shall, on any account, presume to purchase any horses, cattle, or carriages for the public service, without the express order of the commander in chief, the commander in chief of the department, the quarter master general or deputy quarter master general of a department; nor shall the waggon master general, or any other waggon master, hire any horses, cattle or carriages, unless by the authority aforesaid, or by that of an assistant deputy quarter master general.
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11. That the quarter master general appoint such assistants and make such arrangements for conducting the business of his department, as to him and to the commander in chief, and commander of the departments, shall seem most conducive to the public weal; that a copy of such arrangement, specifying the names of the assistants, commissaries of forage, waggon master, forage masters, and clerks of the several departments, be transmitted to the Board of War: and that every assistant of the quarter master general of the army, and every assistant of the deputy quarter master general of the several departments thereof, shall make monthly returns of every article, of what kinds soever, that may be in or at any of the forts, encampments, magazines, or places in the district, committed to his care, to the deputy quarter master general of the department, noting what is good, what is reparable, and what is unfit for farther service, in separate columns; from which returns, the deputy quarter master general shall make one general return, in which shall be specified the total of all the articles in every district within his department; one copy whereof shall be monthly transmitted to the Board of War, one to the commander in chief of the department, and one to the quarter master general; from which returns, the quarter master general shall make a general return, specifying what is in each department and every
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district thereof; one copy whereof shall be monthly transmitted to the Board of War, one to the commander in chief, and one to the commander of each department.
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12. That every assistant quarter master, commissary of forage, waggon master general, forage master, and every other person employed in the quarter master general's branch, who shall neglect or refuse to make such monthly returns, shall be dismissed the service by the quarter master general or the deputy quarter master general of the department to which such delinquent belongs.
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13. And in order that all deputy quarter masters general and assistants may make their returns in such a manner as to avoid that great confusion which has heretofore arisen from a want of method, the quarter master general is to furnish his deputies with a form, copies whereof they are to deliver to the assistants and to every person in the quarter master general's branch who may be called upon for a return.
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14. That the quarter master general and the deputy quarter masters general in the several departments, have full power and be authorized, with the consent of the commander in chief, or the commander of the department, to dismiss any person by them employed, who shall refuse or neglect any duty enjoined by the foregoing resolutions, or any other duty he may be charged with, and to appoint others in the stead of such as may be dismissed.
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15. The general and commander in chief of our armies, and the commander of any department thereof, shall be allowed as much forage for their horses and those of their suite as the service may require.
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16. That a major general and brigadier general, not having the command of a separate department, shall each be allowed forage for six horses for themselves, their aids-de-camp, or brigade majors and servants.
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17. That the commander in chief, and the commander in any separate department, be authorized to allow such quantities of forage, and for and during such times as they shall think proper, to the quarter master general and his deputies, to the muster master general and his deputies, the chief engineer and his assistants, the commissary general and his deputies, the director general of the hospital, his subs and surgeons general, to the adjutant general and his deputies, to the colonels, lieutenant colonels, majors, adjutants, quarter masters, and surgeons of regiments, and to provost marshals, or to such and so many of the before mentioned officers and their deputies as the service shall necessarily require; Provided, always, that if any of the officers
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abovementioned, their deputies or assistants, should be allowed forage in consequence of any general orders hereafter given, and should nevertheless not keep any or so many horses as they would be permitted to draw forage for, that in such case, no forage shall be issued for more horses than they really have, nor shall they at any time thereafter be allowed any forage as back allowance or any money in lieu thereof.
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18. That a deputy quarter master general be appointed to each department, and one to each grand division of the army; the rank of the former to be that of a colonel, of the latter, that of a lieutenant colonel.
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19. That the quarter master general, with the approbation of the commander in chief, or commander in any separate department, appoint a competent number of deputy quarter masters general, a waggon master general, and so many waggon masters, as the service, from time to time, may require, and make a return to the Board of War, of the names of the persons so appointed.
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20. That Major General Mifflin be allowed, for his services as quarter master general, 166 dollars per month, in addition to his pay as major general.1
[Note 1: 1 This paragraph is in the writing of Roger Sherman.]
That the pay of a deputy quarter master general of a grand division of the army, be seventy-five dollars per month:
That the pay of an assistant deputy quarter master general be forty dollars per month, and that he have the rank of a captain:
That the pay of a waggon master general be seventy-five dollars per month, and that he have the rank of Colonel.
That the pay of a deputy waggon master general be fifty dollars per month, and that he have the rank of Major.
That the pay of a barrack master general be seventy-five dollars per month, and that he have the rank of a Lieutenant Colonel.
That the pay of a waggon master or conductor of waggons be forty dollars per month:
That the pay of a forage master be forty dollars per month.2
[Note 2: 2 This report, in the writing of John Lansing, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 22, folio 125. It carries a memorandum by Charles Thomson: "500 copies and to be published in the newspapers."]
Resolved, That 200,000 dollars be advanced to the quarter master general for the public service, he to be accountable; and that the same be paid by an order in his favour
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on the commissioner of the loan office for the State of Pensylvania, for 150,000 dollars, and by another order in his favour on the commissioner of the loan office in the State of Connecticut, for 50,000 dollars.
The Committee of Treasury reported,
That there is due to Colonel Lewis Dubois, for the pay of his batallion of New York forces, the sum of 2,757 9/90 dollars:
That there is due to Captain Zephaniah Lott, for pay and mileage of a company of Bucks county militia, in Colonel Kirkbride's regiment, the sum of 271 30/90 dollars:
That there is due to Jacob Hiltzheimer, for sundry expresses he paid by order of Congress, the sum of 437 36/90 dollars:
That there is due to William Alexander, late a captain in the 7 Pensylvania batallion, for ballance of pay and sundry other charges, the sum of 513 63/90 dollars:
That there is due to Captain James Wilson, of the 6 Pensylvania regiment, for the ballance of his pay roll and sundry other charges, the sum of 640 76/90 dollars:
That there is due to Lieutenant Colonel Beyer, for the pay of himself and other field officers of Colonel Levant's batallion of Berks county militia, the sum of 311 dollars:
That there is due to George M'Candles, to be paid to Gillam Taylor, for keeping continental horses at Baltimore, 99 57/90 dollars:
That there is due to William Tricket, for stationary supplied by him to the president of Congress and Board of War, the sum of 139 18/90 dollars:1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, I, folio 169.]
Ordered, That the said sums be paid.
The several matters to this day referred, being postponed,
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.
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