| PREVIOUS | NEXT | NEW SEARCH |
A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1875
Journals of the Continental Congress --TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 1777
A letter, of the 21, from General Washington;
One, of the 5, from Colonel George Morgan, at Fort Pitt, with sundry papers enclosed;
One, of the 2, from Major Malmedy, at Providence;
One, of the 14, from Governor Trumbull;
And a memorial from Elisha Painter, were read:1
[Note 1: 1 This letter of Washington is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 152, IV, folo 91. That of Malmedy is in No. 78, XV, folio 171; that of Trumbull in No. 66, I, folio 321, and that of Painter in No. 41, VIII, folio 13.]
Ordered, That the letter from Colonel Morgan be referred to the standing committee on Indian affairs; the letter from Major Malmedy to the committee on applications from foreigners; the letter from Governor Trumbull to the committee on foreign affairs, and the memorial from Elisha Painter to the Board of War.
The Board of War brought in a report, which was taken into consideration: Whereupon,
Resolved, That a Corps of Invalids be formed consisting of eight Companies, each Company to have one Captain, two Lieutenants, two Ensigns, five Serjeants, six Corporals, two Drummers, two fifers and one hundred Men. This Corps to be employed, in Garrisons and for Guards, in Cities and other Places, where Magazines or Arsenals are placed; as also to serve as a Military School for Young Gentlemen, previous to their being appointed to marching Regiments, for which purpose, all the Subaltern Officers, when off Duty, shall be obliged to attend a Mathematical School, appointed for the purpose to learn Geometry, Arithmetick, vulgar and decimal Fractions and the extraction of Roots. And that the Officers of this Corps, shall be obliged to contribute, one day's pay in every Month, and Stoppages shall be made of it accordingly, for the purpose of purchasing a Regimental Library of the most approved Authors on Tacticks and the Petite Guere.
That some Officers from this Corps be constantly employed in the Recruiting Service, in the Neighbourhood of the places, they shall be stationed in, that all Recruits so made, shall be brought into the Corps,
Page 289 | Page image
and drilled and afterwards draughted into other Regiments as occasion shall require.1
[Note 1: 1 See under June 20, 1777, post.]
That the Secret Committee be directed to transmit, from time to time, to such Officers and Soldiers as are, or shall be, Prisoners of War in the Hands of the Enemy, Bills of Exchange, not exceeding the amount of their Pay, for their support during their Captivity.2
[Note 2: 2 This paragraph was stricken out, and the substitute printed below inserted.]
Resolved, That General Schuyler be directed immediately, to send forward, all the troops now at Bristol, with orders to join General Washington with all expedition; [and that General Schuyler immediately order all the troops now in Philadelphia, and which may hereafter arrive, with the utmost despatch to Bristol, there to wait farther orders.]3
[Note 3: 3 The words in brackets are in the writing of Richard Peters.]
That the Secret Committee be directed to transmit, from time to time, to General Washington, bills of exchange, or specie, for the support of prisoners of war in the hands of the enemy, according to their ranks and pay in the continental service; and that the General be desired to appoint a commissary of prisoners, for the purpose of applying the money obtained by the bills and the specie transmitted, to the purposes aforesaid; and that the said commissary be ordered to take care, that the prisoners of war be provided with proper provisions and cloathing.4
[Note 4: 4 This paragraph is in the writing of Richard Henry Lee.]
Inform General Washington that Surgeons Mates are appointed and their Pay fixed. Pay and Rations of Regimental Surgeons and Mates same as second surgeons in the Hospital.5
[Note 5: 5 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, I, folio 147.]
Resolved, That the farther consideration of the report be postponed.
Resolved, That the director and deputy directors general, shall constantly publish in the news-papers, the
Page 290 | Page image
names of the places in which their military hospitals are respectively kept; and the several commanding officers of parties, detachments, or corps, on their march to or from the camp, shall send to the said hospitals, such of their officers and soldiers, as, from time to time, are unable to proceed, together with certificates to the director or deputy director general, mentioning the names of the said officers and soldiers and particular regiments to which they belong; unless, from the distance of the hospitals, or other causes, it shall at any time be necessary to deliver them to the care of private physicians or surgeons, in which cases, such physicians and surgeons, and also the respective commanding officers, are forthwith to report their names and regiments to the director or deputy directors general as aforesaid, who shall give the necessary orders for removing them to the hospitals as soon as may be, and discharge the reasonable demands of the physicians and surgeons conducting agreeable to this resolve.
That the director, deputy directors general and assistant deputy directors, have power to order to their respective hospitals, the sick and wounded of the army, wherever found, in their own or other departments, provided such other departments are not supplied with any of the officers aforesaid.
A memorial from Robert Long was read, requesting that permission may be granted to the memorialist to go to New York, to render to Mr. [Daniel] Chamier an account of his affairs:1
[Note 1: 1 This memorial is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 41, V, folio 171. It is accompanied by a certificate signed James Calhoun, chairman of the committee of Baltimore, Md., dated "In Committee, January 20, 1777."]
Ordered, That the said memorial be dismissed.
Resolved, That an order be drawn on the treasurer at Baltimore, in favour of James Mease, cloathier general,
Page 291 | Page image
for the sum of 12,000 dollars, to discharge a bill of exchange drawn at Boston, March 1, 1777, by Abraham Livingston and William Turnbull, on Robert Morris, Esqr. in favour of Mr. Stephen Hooper, or order.
Resolved, That Governor Trumbull be informed, that Congress have received undoubted information that William Franklin, late governor of the state of New Jersey, and now a prisoner in Connecticut, has, since his removal to that state, sedulously employed himself in dispersing amongst the inhabitants the protections of Lord Howe and General Howe, stiled the king's commissioners for granting pardons, &c. and otherwise aided and abetted the enemies of the United States: And, that he be requested forthwith to order the said William Franklin, Esqr. into close confinement, prohibiting to him the use of pen, ink, and paper, or the access of any person or persons, but such as are properly licensed for that purpose by Governor Trumbull.
A memorial from Colonel Haller and Lieutenant Colonel Lutz was read, praying that they may be paid for retained rations.
Ordered, That the same be referred to the Board of War.
Resolved, That a member be added to the committee for suppressing toryism.
The member chosen, Mr. [William] Duer.
Resolved, That it be recommended to the several States, to order their statute laws, and the additions that may be made thereto, to be sent to Congress, and to each of the States, together with all discoveries and improvements in the arts of war made in such States respectively.
The several matters to this day referred,being postponed,
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.
PREVIOUS SECTION .. NEXT SECTION .. NAVIGATOR
| PREVIOUS | NEXT | NEW SEARCH |