| 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, JUNE 17, 1777
A letter, from Brigadier General R. Howe, dated Charleston, 8 May, 1777, with a copy of the proceedings of a court martial; and
A letter, from J. Rutledge, president of South Carolina, dated 13 April last, with sundry papers enclosed, were read:1
[Note 1: 1 The letter of Howe is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 160, folio 352.]
Ordered, That the letter from General Howe be referred to the Board of War;
That the letter from Mr. President J. Rutledge, be referred to the Board of Treasury.
Resolved, That the sum of thirty-one thousand five hundred and ninety dollars be passed in the treasury books to the credit of the State of South Carolina, and charged to the account of William Kennon, the same being in full of a bill, No. 1, drawn at Charleston, April 14, 1777, by the said William Kennon, in favour of John Rutledge, Esqr. president of South Carolina, for the use of the said State.
In consequence of an adjustment by the commissioners ∥of accounts,∥ the auditor general reports,
That there is due to Colonel David Mason, of the 15 Virginia regiment, for a pair of button moulds, which he procured for the use of the said regiment, the sum of 16 60/90 dollars.2
[Note 2: 2 This report, dated June 14, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, I, folio 233.]
The Board of Treasury reports,
That there should be advanced to Andrew Bryan, lieutenant in Captain Nathaniel Mitchell's company, of Colonel William Grayson's regiment, and to be charged to the said regiment, the sum of 800 dollars.3
[Note 3: 3 This report is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, I, folio 235.]
Ordered, The said sums be paid.
Page 472 | Page image
A petition from Paul Hussey, late commander of the schoonerRosanna, in behalf of John Brown, owner of the said schooner, with her tackle, apparel, and furniture, and cargo, seized and taken as prize, by the armed schoonerPriscilla, commanded by Yelverton Fowkes, was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to the Committee on Appeals.
The committee appointed to consider what honours are due to the memory of General Wooster, brought in a report, which was taken into consideration: Whereupon,
Resolved, That a monument be erected to the memory of General Wooster, with the following inscription:
"In honor of David Wooster, brigadier-general in the army of the United States. In defending the liberties of America, and bravely repelling an inroad of the British forces to Danbury, in Connecticut, he received a mortal wound on the 27th day of April, 1777, and died on the 2d day of May following. The Congress of the United States, as an acknowledgment of his merit and services, have caused this monument to be erected."
Resolved, That the executive power of the state of Connecticut be requested to carry the foregoing resolution into execution; and that 500 dollars be allowed for this purpose.
The Board of War to whom were referred the memorial of James Mease, clothier general, and the petition from Charles Harrison and Peter Campbell, brought in a report which was taken into consideration: Whereupon, Congress came to the following resolutions:
Whereas James Mease, Esqr. clothier general, has, by his memorial,1 set forth, "That he is very much embarrassed and perplexed in the conducting of his department by the occasional interference of particular States, who, frequently by virtue of their votes or resolves, take and
[Note 1: 1 This memorial is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 41, VI, folio 11.]
Page 473 | Page image
appropriate the public cloathing, and necessaries, either imported or purchased on account of the Continent, on its passage through their respective States, which has occasioned much disappointment, and will, if not put a stop to, introduce the greatest disorder and confusion in his department, and will render it impossible for him to cause an equal distribution amongst the troops of these States:" Therefore,
Resolved, That the several continental agents in the different States, be directed to deliver out no cloathing imported or purchased on account of the Continent, but to the express order of the cloathier general, or his agents; and that they be directed to transmit to the cloathier general, an account of all cloathing that may be imported as expeditiously as possible after its arrival; and that a copy of this resolution be sent to the several States.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, dated June 11, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, I, folio 215. It was prepared with the following members of the Board present: John Adams, Benjamin Harrison, George Clymer, Roger Sherman, Charles Carroll, and Francis Lightfoot Lee.]
Resolved, That the petition of Charles Harrison, and Peter Campbell, prisoners, from the state of New Jersey, now in the State prison, be referred to the governor and council of that State.
That the Commissary General be directed to make a Contract with a proper Person to supply the Armywith Soap, and that the Quantity allowed per 100 Men be encreased to
Resolved, That the commissary general of cloathing be directed to supply the army with a sufficient number of combs.
In consequence of a farther report from the Board of War,
Resolved, That Mr. Joseph Nourse be appointed deputy secretary to the Board of War, with a salary of seven
Page 474 | Page image
hundred and eighty dollars per annum, to commence from the 10th day of May last.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, dated June 13, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, I, folio 217. The members of the Board present were: John Adams, Benjamin Harrison, Roger Sherman, Samuel Adams, George Clymer, and Charles Carroll.]
Resolved, That Colonel Hall of the 4th Maryland regiment, be furnished out of the continental store with as much cloathing as the men of the late Captain Yates's company want to supply their present necessities; the same to be deducted out of their pay, and, for that purpose, an account thereof be rendered by the cloathier general to the pay master of the said regiment.2
[Note 2: 2 This report, prepared on the afternoon of June 13, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, I, folio 219. The members of the Board present were: John Adams, Roger Sherman, Samuel Adams, Francis Lightfoot Lee, Charles Carroll, and George Clymer.
The same report contained the following paragraph, which was ordered "to lie:"
"The Board of War being much embarrassed in the Execution of the Business of their Department for want of having the Resolves of Congress daily before them and being informed that the Officers concerned both in the civil and Military Departments in the Army, labour under many difficulties on the same account, beg leave to Report to Congress as their Opinion, that a Printer be immediately appointed to print the proceedings of Congress from day to day."]
A letter from Governor Johnson, of Maryland, with sundry accounts relating to the militia of that State, who were called into service last winter, was read:
Ordered, That the same be referred to the Board of Treasury.
Resolved, That an order for 50,000 dollars be drawn on the commissioner of the loan office for the State of Massachusetts bay, in favour of James Mease, Esqr. clothier general, or order, for the public service, he to be accountable:
That an order for 100,000 dollars be drawn on the commissioner of the loan office for the State of New Hampshire, in favour of the state of New Hampshire, for the use thereof, the said State to be accountable.
Page 475 | Page image
The Board of War brought in a report, which was taken into consideration: Whereupon,
Resolved, That the batallion directed by the state of North Carolina, to be raised under the command of Colonel Abraham Sheppard, be admitted on the continental establishment, and considered one of the sixteen batallions which General Washington was empowered to raise and commission; the several stipulations and conditions by the said State provided, relative to the said batallion, being observed; and that the said Colonel Sheppard be ordered, as soon as 300 rank and file shall be inlisted into his said batallion, if within the time by the State of North Carolina stipulated, to join General Washington with all possible expedition, leaving proper officers to recruit:
That the appointment of Mr. Winslow, by General Gates, as captain of artillery, be approved and confirmed by Congress:
That Congress approve of General Schuyler's having annexed Major Nicholson's corps to Colonel Livingston's regiment:
That the clothier general be directed to send 500 blankets to General Schuyler, as soon as the service here will admit of it:
That the pay of a secretary to a brigadier general in a separate command, be 50 dollars per month, during such command:
That the pay of the secretary to the commander ∥in chief∥ in the northern department, be 60 dollars a month.
The Committee on the Treasury, to whom was referred the letter from the president of the State of Pensylvania, brought in a report; Whereupon,
Resolved, That there be advanced to the president and the supreme executive council of the State of Pensylvania,
Page 476 | Page image
on their application for that purpose, the sum of 50,000 dollars, for which the said State is to be accountable.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of James Duane, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, I, folio 245.]
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 |