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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, APRIL 11, 1777
A letter of the 9th, from General Washington;
One of the 8, from Governor ∥president∥ M'Kinley;
One, of the 9, from General Putnam, ∥were read.∥1
[Note 1: 1 The letter of Washington is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 152, IV, folio 65.]
Ordered, That the letter from Governor ∥president∥ M'Kinley be referred to the Board of Treasury.
Resolved, That Governor ∥president∥ M'Kinley be requested, with the advice of his council, to appoint a suitable person to supply with provision, the company to be stationed for the protection of Lewistown and the neighbourhood.
A letter, of the 10, from General Washington, with sundry papers enclosed, respecting the exchange of prisoners; and a letter from the Chevalier de Vrecourt, &c. was laid before Congress and read:2
[Note 2: 2 This letter is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 152, IV, folio 69. That of Vrecourt is in No. 78, XXIII, folio 35--1.]
Ordered, That the papers, respecting the exchange ∥of prisoners,∥ be published; that the letter from the Chevalier de Vrecourt, be referred to the committee on foreign applications, and that the General's letter, with the other papers, be referred to the Board of War.
Congress proceeded to the election of the two remaining deputy muster masters general; and the ballots being taken,
Mr. William Yates and Mr. George North were elected.
Congress then proceeded to the election of the officers in the hospital department; and the ballots being taken,
Dr. William Shippen, Junr. was chosen, by the unanimous vote of the thirteen states, director general of all the military hospitals for the armies of the United States.
Dr. Walter Jones, was elected physician general of the hospital in the middle department.
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Dr. Benjamin Rush, was elected surgeon general of the hospital in the middle department.
Dr. John Cochran, was elected physician and surgeon general of the army in the middle department.
Dr. Isaac Forster, deputy director general of the hospital in the eastern department.
Dr. Ammi Ruhamah Cutter, physician general of the hospital in the eastern department.
Dr. Philip Turner, surgeon general of ditto.
Dr. William Burnet, physician and surgeon ∥general∥ of the army ∥in the eastern department.∥
Dr. Jonathan Potts, was elected deputy director general of the hospital in the northern department.
Dr. Malachi Treat, physician general of ditto.
Dr. Forgue, surgeon general of ditto.
Dr. John Bartlett, physician and surgeon general of ditto.
Resolved, That a committee of three be appointed to make diligent enquiry respecting the truth of an information, just given to Congress, of a quantity of provisions being laid up in the city of Philadelphia; and if, upon enquiry, the same be found true, to take effectual measures, in conjunction with the board of war of Pensylvania, for preventing the same from falling into the hands of the enemy.
The members chosen, Mr. [William] Duer, Mr. S[amuel] Adams, and Mr. [Abraham] Clark.
The Board of Treasury reported,
That there is due to Dr. J. Ramsey, and to be paid to the honorable Jonathan Elmer, Esqr. for sundry medicine supplied the New Jersey troops, the sum of £9 3 6 equal to 24 42/90 dollars:
That there is due to Dr. James Tilton, for sundry medicine supplied the batallion of the state of Delaware, the sum of £10, equal to 26 60/90 dollars:
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That there is due to Dr. William Currie, for sundry medicine supplied the 5, or Colonel Johnston's Pensylvania batallion, the sum of £50 17 2 equal to 135 56/90 dollars:
That there is due to John Skinner, for sundry provisions supplied the troops at Cranberry, in the state of New Jersey, and for his pay as assistant commissary, agreeable to his account, as settled by Mr. Carpenter Wharton, deputy commissary general the sum of £352 3 2 equal to 939 8/90 dollars: this sum is exclusive of waggonage and other charges, to be settled in the quarter master general's department:
That there is due to William Whipple, Esqr. for the expense of conveying 60,000 dollars from Philadelphia to the state of New Hampshire, the sum of £20 14 7 ½ lawful money, equal to 69 9/90 dollars:1
[Note 1: 1 This report, dated April 9, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, I, folio 115.]
Ordered, That the said accounts be paid.
Resolved, That General Schuyler be desired to issue warrants on Mr. Mease, for the payment of arrearages due to the Maryland militia, that served in the army during the winter campaign.
The Board of War brought in a report, which was taken into consideration: Whereupon,
Resolved, That 170 fire arms, either muskets or rifles, 200 wt. of powder, 800 wt. of lead, and 500 flints, be sent to the town of Westmoreland, on the east branch of Susquehannah river, to the care of Colonel Nathan Dennison, to be used by the militia there, for the defence of the said town, if necessary; the arms to be returned when the service there will admit of it:
That the pay of the deputy quarter master general in the northern department, be raised to 60 dollars per
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month, in consideration of the extra trouble that attends the execution of his office in that department:
That the pay of brigade majors, in the continental army, be raised to 50 dollars a month:
That the pay of the regimental chaplains in the continental army be raised to 40 dollars a month:
That the pay of the judge advocate be raised to 60 dollars a month:
That Colonel Morgan procure as much of the provision, ordered by Congress, to be laid up at Fort Pitt, by their resolution of the 8th January last, as General Hand shall think necessary:
That General Hand determine the number and kind of cannon necessary to be sent to Fort Pitt:
That three tons of powder be sent to Fort Pitt from Lancaster:
That Colonel Flower, commissary general of military stores, be empowered to purchase 200 rifles and their accoutrements, to be sent to Fort Pitt:
That General Hand have discretionary power as to the number of men to be embodied for the defence of the frontiers, if, on any emergency, he shall think a greater number than one thousand necessary:1
[Note 1: 1 This report, dated April 10 and 11, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, I, folio 137.]
The Committee on Foreign Applications, brought in a report, ∥which was taken into consideration;∥ Whereupon,
Resolved, That the Chevalier de Preudhomme de Borré have the rank and pay of a brigadier general in the army of the United States of America, from the 1 day of December last; according to the compact made between him and the honorable Silas Deane, Esqr.
∥Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.∥
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