| 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 --WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27, 1777
A letter, of the 25, from president M'Kinley, at Wilmington; one, of the 5, and one, of the 10th, from ∥Brigadier General∥ de Roche Fermoy, were read;∥1
[Note 1: 1 The letter of McKinly is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 70, folio 635. The letters of De Roche Fermoy are in No. 78, IX, folios 113 and 117.]
Ordered, That they be referred to the Board of War.
A petition from Peter Frances de Bois was read:2
[Note 2: 2 This petition is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 42, I, folio 149.]
Ordered, That it be dismissed.
A letter from Colonel G. Bailor to Colonel Harrison, was laid before Congress and read:
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of War.
The Board of War to whom the petition of Lewis John Baptiste Chamberon de D'Antignac was referred, brought in a report, which was taken into consideration; Whereupon,
That it is not convenient at present to promote Mons. D'Antignac: and therefore, that his petition be dismissed.3
[Note 3: 3 This report is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, I, folio 335. The members of the Board present were: John Adams, Samuel Adams, James Wilson, Francis Lightfoot Lee, and George Clymer.]
Resolved, That the said petition be dismissed.
A petition of Mons. de Ganot, was read.4
[Note 4: 4 This petition is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 42, III, folio 195.]
Congress resumed the consideration of the report of the committee on the mode of conducting the enquiry into the causes of the evacuation of Ticonderoga and Mount Independence, &c.
On motion to add after department ∥in 2d paragraph∥ these words, "and his reasons for absence from Ticonderoga at the time of the enemy's approach to that post:" Question put, passed in the negative.
Page 682 | Page image
On motion to insert ∥in 7th paragraph∥ after the word "number" [insert] "equipment and"behaviour of the militia.
After "militia" insert, "and the term of service for which they were engaged:" Question put, resolved in the affirmative.
On motion to strike out after the words "distance of their works" these words, "if any."
Question put, passed in the affirmative.
On motion to strike out "whether in rear,"
Question put carried in the affirmative.
On motion to strike out the preceding words, "where the general officers marched in the retreat;" to this an amendment was moved, and to insert instead thereof these words "and the manner in which the retreat was conducted."
Question was put, and the ayes and noes being required, are as follows:
{table}
Page 683 | Page image
So It was resolved in the affirmative.
On motion, to insert ∥in the 8th paragraph,∥ after "number," these words "and size:" After "cannon," to insert "and whether any were removed before the evacuation." Question put, resolved in the affirmative.
On motion to strike out the last paragraph, which is,
"That if, upon such enquiry, a well grounded suspicion shall arise, that the loss of those important posts was owing to neglect or misconduct of any officer or officers in said department, Congress may give the necessary direction for bringing such officer or officers to trial, according to the rules and articles of war:" and, insert instead thereof,
"That, upon such enquiry and collection of facts, the whole be transmitted by the said committee to General Washington, with direction for him to proceed thereupon, either by court of enquiry or court martial, (as shall be most proper and conformable to the law-martial,) for examining into the conduct of the general officers who commanded in the northern department, at the time Ticonderoga was evacuated:"
A motion was made to amend this, by striking out "either by court of enquiry or court martial, as shall be most proper and conformable to the law-martial," and inserting these words, "agreeable to the rules and articles of war:"
Another motion was made to amend the first motion by striking out all that follows the word "facts," and inserting "a copy of the whole be transmitted by the said committee to the judge advocate, and thereupon that General Washington appoint a court martial for the trial
Page 684 | Page image
of the general officers who were in the northern department when Ticonderoga and Mount Independence were evacuated, agreeable to the rules and articles of war:"
On motion to amend the last amendment by striking out the word "judge advocate," and inserting "General:"
Question put, carried in the affirmative.
And the same being farther amended by striking out the words "General Washington" and inserting "he."
The question was then put on the amendment as amended, with the first part of the original motion as far as facts included. And the yeas and nays called for, and taken, are as follows:
{table}
So it was resolved in the affirmative.
The report as amended ∥and agreed to∥, is as follows:
Resolved, That a committee of three members of Congress be appointed and authorized to correspond with public bodies or private persons, by letter or otherwise,
Page 685 | Page image
in this and the neighbouring states, in order to collect the clearest and fullest evidence of the state of the army in the northern department, and also of the state of the troops, military stores and provision, at the said posts, before and at the time when the evacuation was determined upon:
To call for and examine the minutes of the council of war, to enquire what orders were given, from time to time, by the commander in chief of that department:
To enquire particularly if the barracks and stores were destroyed or left standing:
To enquire of the quarter master general and commissary general what quantity of provision had been laid up at Ticonderoga, or near it, for the use of the garrison, and what measures were taken or taking for throwing in farther supplies:
To inform themselves, as fully as possible, of the number, appointment and movements of the enemy, from the time of their landing to the time of evacuating the fort, and also of the number, quality and condition of the garrison; [and the manner in which the retreat was conducted] and if any and what measures were taken to gain intelligence of the strength of the enemy by the commander in chief, or the commanding officer at Ticonderoga:
To enquire of the clothier general what clothing, from time to time, had been issued for the use of the northern department, and from other public officers, into the expenditure of such general issues:
To enquire into the number, equipment and behaviour of the militia, and the term of service for which they were engaged, at and before the time of the evacuation; into the situation and condition of the lines at Ticonderoga, and the fortifications upon Mount Independence; what
Page 686 | Page image
works had been thrown up by the enemy, what posts they had taken, and the distance of their works [from Mount Independence, Mount Hope and the Lines at Ticonderoga]; what orders had been given by the commanding officer for directing and regulating a retreat, [where the General Officers marched, in the Retreat, whether in Front, Center or Rear] and the manner in which the retreat was conducted; what orders were given relative to the sick, what care taken of them; whether any continental troops, and what number were at Albany or in the neighbourhood, how long they had been there, and why they were not ordered to Ticonderoga:
To enquire into the number and size of cannon, and whether any were removed before the evacuation; the quantity and species of military stores; the state of the arms, both of the continental soldiers and militia, whether the troops were furnished with bayonets, and whether there were any and what number of pikes or spears proper for defending lines:
7. That if upon such Enquiry a well grounded suspicion shall arise that the Loss of those Important Posts was owing to neglect or misconduct of any Officer or Officers in said Department, Congress may give the necessary direction for bringing such Officer or Officers to Tryal according to the Rules and Articles of War.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of Henry Laurens, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 29, folio 261. The parts in brackets and the last paragraph were not accepted.]
That, upon such enquiry and collection of facts, a copy of the whole be transmitted by the said committee to General Washington, and that, thereupon, he appoint a court martial for the trial of the general officers who were in the northern department, when Ticonderoga and Mount Independence were evacuated, agreeable to the rules and articles of war.
Page 687 | Page image
A motion was made, That on calling the yeas and nays, a member of a State not represented be called, and his yea or nays be entered on the journal. The question being put and the States called, there were four ayes and five noes. So it passed in the negative.
A motion was then made that the answer of Mr. Duer to the question last determined by the yeas and nays be inserted on the journals, although the state of New York is not represented.
Before the question was put the adjournment was called for, and
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 |