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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 --WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 1777
A letter, of the 2d, from Benjamin Harrison, deputy pay master general in the southern department, was read.2
[Note 2: 2 This letter is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 78, XI, folio 203.]
Resolved, That the pay of the pay master general be increased to 150 dollars per month:
That the pay of the deputy pay master general be increased to 75 dollars per month.
Congress was moved to pass a resolution respecting Brigadier Stark's conduct; after debate on motion made and the question put,
Resolved, That the consideration thereof be postponed.3
[Note 3: 3 "The inclosed is a copy of General Lincoln's letter to General Schuyler and the Resolution of Congress on receiving it, which was the 19th Instant. Some of the southern Gentlemen made themselves very warm on the occasion, threw out many illiberal reflections on General Stark, and some on the Legislative authority of the State of New Hampshire, which made your delegates sit very uneasy in their chairs even to give them time to go through. But in our turn we informed Congress that we had no information from the State of New Hampshire to inform us what the reasons were that induced them to give such orders to General Stark; but that we had rec'd a letter from the Honble. Josiah Bartlett, a member of the Council of that State and lately a member of Congress, which had given us some of their reasons, and were such in our opinion as were conclusive, and would justify the conduct of that State in the eyes of the whole world: That, in the first place, the Militia of that State had lost all confidence in the General Officers who had the command at Tyconderoga when it was evacuated and given up to our enemies; that they would not turn out nor be commanded by such officers; that the preservation of the lives of the inhabitants on our frontiers and the cause in which we were all engaged, made such orders at that critical time absolutely necessary; that we were not about to justify General Stark for making a demand of rank in the army at that critical time, but we well knew he had a great deal to say for himself on that head, and that he had been in almost all the engagements to the northward, and distinguished himself, white others were advanced over his head. Yesterday a motion was made by Maryland and seconded, that a Resolve of Congress might he passed censure his conduct in refusing to submit to the Rules and Regulations of the Army; on which a large debate ensued,in which we were supported by all the New England Delegates and Some of the Virginians: On motion being made, it was agreed it should lie on the table, and carried by a grate majority. We inform'd Congress that a motion of that sort came with a very bad grace from Maryland who, only, of the thirteen United States had seen fit to make laws directly in opposition to Congress, by refusing that their militia should be subjected to the rules and regulations of the army when joynd; And we informed Congress that we had not the least doubt but the first battle they heard of from the North, would be fought by Stark and the troops commanded by him, * * * and that I should not be afraid to risque my honor nor my life, they would do as much towards the defence of that part of the country and the common cause, as the same number of any of the troops in that department.
"I will leave you, Sir, to judge of our feelings, when the very next day we had a confirmation of what we had asserted by an express from General Schuyler, giving an Account of the victory obtained by General Stark and the troops under his command. We believe this circumstance only will make those easy who have been trying to raise a dust in Congress." TheDelegates of New Hampshire in Congress 22 August, 1777.New Hampshire State Papers, VIII, 663.]
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The Marine Committee, to whom certain motions were referred, brought in a report, which was read:1
[Note 1: 1 Printed under August 21, 1777.]
Ordered, To lie for consideration.
A letter, from the president and council of Pensylvania, to the delegates of that State ill Congress, was laid before Congress and read:2
[Note 2: 2 This letter is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 69, I, folio 391. It is printed inPennsylvania Archives, First Series, V, 536.]
Ordered, That it lie for consideration till to morrow, and that the deputy muster master general immediately muster the militia of Pensylvania, that are now in the field, beginning with those at Chester.
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Congress took into consideration the report of the committee on the mode of conducting the enquiry into the reasons of the evacuation of Ticonderoga and Fort Independence, and into the conduct of the general officers who were in the northern department at the time of the evacuation; and, after debate,
Resolved, That the same be re-committed.
The committee on the state of the western frontiers and the northern department, brought in another report, which was taken into consideration; Whereupon,
Resolved, That General Washington be directed to call on the governor of New Jersey for 1,000 men, to relieve a like number of the militia of the state of New York, at present employed in garrisoning the forts on Hudson's river, in order that, the said militia may be employed in repelling the invasion of the enemy on the frontiers of that state:
Resolved, That an extract of Colonel [George] Morgan's letter, which relates to a farther supply of money, be referred to the Board of Treasury.
The several matters to this day referred, being postponed,
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.
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