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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 --THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 1777
A letter, of the 21, from General Washington,at Head Quarters, Bucks County; enclosing a copy of a letter of the 29 May, from B. Franklin at Paris, respecting the Count Pulaski; also a letter of the 25 from Count Pulaski; one, of the 14, from Joseph Trumbull, at the Cross Roads; and a petition from John Young, were read; a letter from Baron de Kalb, enclosing a letter directed to General Howe, and a letter of the 25 from M. Hillegas, ∥treasurer∥ at York town, was read:1
[Note 1: 1 The letter of Washington, with enclosures, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 152, IV, folio 531; that of Hillegas, in No. 78, XI, folio 233; that of Young, in No. 42, VIII, folios 457, 459.]
Ordered, That, the letter from Mr. Trumbull and that from Mr. Hillegas be referred to the Board of Treasury; that the petition from J. Young, and so much of the Baron de Kalb's letter as relates to his application for leave to return to France, by the way of New York, be referred to the Board of War:
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That the remainder of the Baron de Kalb's letter and the letter from General Washington, with the letter enclosed, and the letter from Count Pulaski, be referred to the Committee on Foreign Applications.
A letter, of the 24, from Brigadier A. Buchanan, at Baltimore, was read.1
[Note 1: 1 This letter is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 78, II, folio 233.]
Resolved, That the committee appointed to take into consideration the state of South Carolina and Georgia, be also empowered to consider and report upon the state of North Carolina.
Congress proceeded to the election of the committee to collect evidence and facts relative to the evacuation of Ticonderoga ∥and Mount Independence∥; and, the ballots being taken,
Mr. [Henry] Laurens, Mr. R[ichard] H[enry] Lee, and Mr. J[ohn] Adams, were elected.
Ordered, That a copy of the resolutions respecting the mode of conducting the enquiry into the causes of the evacuation of Ticonderoga and Mount Independence, &c. be sent to each of the general officers who were in the northern department at the time of the evacuation, and that they be published in the newspapers.
On motion to reconsider the motion which yesterday passed in the negative, viz. "that on calling the yeas and nays a member of a State not represented be called, and his yea or nay be entered on the journal." Question put, resolved in the affirmative.
Resolved, That 3,000 dollars be advanced to the secretary of the Board of War, for public service, he to be accountable.
A letter, of the 25, from General Sullivan, at Hanover, with sundry papers2 enclosed, and another, without date, were read:
[Note 2: 2 These papers, being Quaker letters and documents, are in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 53, folios 83--101. Sullivan's letters are in No. 160, folios 47 and 53.]
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Ordered, That the letter of the 25, with the papers enclosed, be referred to a committee of three:
The members chosen, Mr. J[ohn] Adams, Mr. [William] Duer, and Mr. R[ichard] H[enry] Lee.
On motion,
Resolved, That when a State is unrepresented in Congress, and the yeas and nays are called for, the opinion of the members of the State unrepresented shall be called for, and entered on the journals, the name of such members being distinguished by an asterisk.
Resolved, That Congress will, to morrow morning, immediately after reading the public letters, resolve itself into a committee of the whole, to consider farther the report of the treasury, on the ways and means of raising supplies, and the letters from the commissioners at Paris, referred to them.
Resolved, That 3,000 dollars be advanced to the president, for public service, he to be accountable.
A letter, of the 26, from James Mease, Esqr. cloathier general, was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of Treasury.
In consequence of an adjustment of the commissioners of claims, the auditor general reports,
That there is due to Abraham Berlin, chairman of the committee of Northampton county, for his account of rations supplied Colonel Hand's batallion last winter, at Easton, as well as the militia who were on their way to camp, £309 1 10 ∥834 22/90 dollars;∥ an allowance is made to him for his trouble and expences in advancing chief part of the money, and paying the remainder, £15 0 0 ∥40 dollars,∥ the whole amounting to £324 1 10; equal to 864 22/90 dollars.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, I, folio 389.]
Ordered, That the said account be paid.
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The Committee on the Treasury brought in a report, Whereupon,
Resolved, That a paymaster be immediately appointed to the corps of invalids under the command of Colonel Nicola.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, dated the 27th, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, I, folio 391.]
Congress resumed the consideration of the report of the committee appointed to enquire into the state of the army: Whereupon,
The first paragraph being read, after debate, on motion made and question put,
Resolved, That the consideration thereof be postpone. The second paragraph being taken into consideration was agreed to, and is as follows:
Resolved, That the cloathier general be directed forthwith to inform himself, as nearly as may be, of the number of blankets, shoes, hose, and shirts, that will be wanted for the troops of the United States in the fall and winter next ensuing, exclusive of those now in store, or for which he has contracted; that he apply for the same to the several assemblies or executive authorities of the states of New Hampshire, Massachusetts bay, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pensylvania, and Delaware, in proportion to the number of inhabitants of each State, and send to each an attested copy of this resolve; and it is earnestly recommended to the several states aforesaid, to call on the inhabitants of their respective counties, cities, towns, or districts, to manufacture, or furnish their proportions of the said articles; and the said states are desired to appoint suitable persons to inspect the quality of the articles thus supplied, and to order them to be delivered to the cloathier's agent in each State, who is hereby directed to pay for the same on the delivery thereof:
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That the cloathier general be directed forthwith to apply to the commander in chief, and commander of each continental district, and inform himself of the number of assistant cloathiers necessary for the army and detached parts within their several commands; that he appoint, without delay, as many assistants as they may respectively judge necessary, and report their names to Congress; that he take effectual care to send to each assistant, a proportion of the cloathing on hand, and full supplies as soon as may be, ordering the said assistants to give receipts therefor; that he be careful to direct the several assistants to give to each non-commissioned officer and soldier the cloathing due to him by the articles of inlistment, and take receipts; and that they supply the army with such other cloathing as shall be necessary at the average cost and charges thereof; that he furnish each assistant with the names of the non-commissioned officers and soldiers of the divisions or corps to which he may be assigned, who have received the bounty of cloathing, or any part thereof, and also with the account of each officer and soldier in such division or corps, who is indebted to the United States for articles of cloathing; that he direct each assistant, on the first day of every month, to render to the respective regimental pay masters in the division or corps to which he is assigned, particular accounts of all the cloathing for which the officers and men are respectively indebted; and the several regimental pay masters are hereby directed to make the proper stoppages from the pay rolls, for discharging the said accounts, and to deliver the money to the assistant cloathiers respectively, taking their receipts therefor, and delivering them to the pay master or deputy pay master general, to be filed in his office until required by the commissioners of accounts or other proper authority; that the several assistants
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deliver the money so received to the cloathier general, and account with him for all the cloathing which they may receive as aforesaid.
Resolved, That the farther consideration of the report be postponed.
On motion,Resolved, That General Washington be directed, if the service will permit, to order a skilful engineer, and an experienced artillerist, to repair immediately to the city of Annapolis, in the State of Maryland, there to obey the directions of the governor and the council of that state.
Ordered, That Mons. P. F. de Bois repair immediately to the northern department.
Adjourned to five o'Clock.
Five o'Clock, p. m.
In pursuance of an adjustment by the commissioners of claims, the auditor general reports,
That there is due to Abraham Terrill and Charles Tooker, for the damages they sustained, in a small schooner belonging to them, in her sails, rigging and hull, the said schooner was employed by General Mercer, in an intended attack on Staten Island, in July, 1776, in which time she was sunk, and suffered the said damages, agreeable to appraisement and certificates, 134 2/3 dollars, and which is to be paid to Abraham Clark, Esqr.
That there is due to Belcher P. Smith, for three months services to General Maxwell last winter in the Jerseys, in capacity of his clerk,1 and for other services, the sum of 150 dollars:
[Note 1: 1 The original report here inserts: "and among other things receiving the Protections given by General Howe to the Inhabitants of Jersey."]
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That there is due to Robert Jewell, his account of dyet for the prisoners from 22 July last to the 29 instant, inclusive, 371 52/90 dollars:
That there is due to Allen Cameron, a balance of his allowance as a prisoner, from the 24 December, 1776, to the 25 July last, being 54 77/90 dollars:
That there is due to Ensign Enoch Welsh, his expences conducting British prisoners to their lines and his return to this city, being six days, for himself and horse, 17 12/90 dollars:1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, I, folio 397.]
Ordered, That the said accounts be paid.
The Committee on the Treasury brought in a report, which was taken into consideration; Whereupon,
Resolved, That the pay of the deputy pay master general of the northern, eastern and southern departments, be augmented to 80 dollars per month:
That the assistants to the pay master general and deputy pay masters general, which they are respectively authorized to appoint, where such officers shall be necessary, shall receive, for the time of their actual service, 50 dollars per month:
That, the pay master general and deputy pay masters general shall be obliged respectively to take bond from their respective assistants appointed by them, for the faithful performance of their trust, in such penalties as the commander in chief, or commanding officer of the department, shall direct.2
[Note 2: 2 This report is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, I, folio 393.]
Resolved, That there be advanced to Colonel Flowers, commissary general of military stores, 50,000 dollars, for the use of his department, and for which he is to be accountable.3
[Note 3: 3 This report, in the writing of James Duane, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, I, folio 395.]
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The committee to whom the letter from General Sullivan, with the papers enclosed, was referred, reported,
That the several testimonies which have been published since the commencement of the present contest betwixt Great Britain and America, and the uniform tenor of the conduct, and conversation of a number of persons of considerable wealth, who profess themselves to belong to the society of people commonly called Quakers,1 render it certain and notorious, that those persons are, with much rancour and bitterness, disaffected to the American cause: that, as these persons will have it in their power, so there is no doubt it will be their inclination, to communicate intelligence to the enemy, and, in various other ways, to injure the councils and arms of America:
[Note 1: 1 This phrase was inserted by John Hancock.]
That when the enemy, in the month of December, 1776, were bending their progress towards the city of Philadelphia, a certain seditious publication, addressed "To our friends and brethren in religious profession in these and the adjacent provinces," signed "John Pemberton, in and on behalf of the meeting of sufferings held at Philadelphia for Pensylvania and New Jersey, the 20th of the 12th month, 1776," was published, and, us your committee is credibly informed, circulated amongst many members of the society called Quakers, throughout the different states:
That, as the seditious paper aforesaid originated in the city of Philadelphia, and as the persons whose names are under mentioned, have uniformly manifested by their general conduct and conversation a disposition highly inimical to the cause of America, therefore,
Resolved, That, it be earnestly recommended to the supreme executive council of the State of Pensylvania, forthwith to apprehend and secure the persons of Joshua Fisher, Abel James, James Pemberton, Henry Drinker, Israel Pemberton, John Pemberton, John James, Samuel Pleasants, Thomas Wharton, Sen.Joseph Pemberton, James Fisher, Thomas Fisher, son of Joshua,Henry Lisle and Samuel Fisher, son of Joshua,2 together with all such papers in their possession, as may be of a political nature.
[Note 2: 2 This name was entered by John Hancock.]
And, whereas, there is strong reason to apprehend that these persons maintain a correspondence and connection highly prejudicial to the public safety, not only in this State but in the respective states of America,
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Resolved, That it be recommended to the executive powers of the respective states, forthwith to apprehend and secure all persons, as well among the people called Quakers as others, who have, in their general conduct and conversation, evidenced a disposition inimical to the cause of America; and that the persons so seizedbe debar'd of all correspondence and connection with Persons of the same persuasion, and that they be confined in such places, and treated in such manner, as shall be consistent with their respective characters and security of their persons:
That the records and papers of theMeetings of Sufferings in the respective states be forthwith secured and carefully examined, and that such parts of them as may be of a political nature, be forthwith transmitted to Congress:
Your committee beg leave further to report that amongst the persons in the city of Philadephia, whom they recommend to be apprehended, the persons of Henry Drinker and Abel James together with their Papers, ought in their Opinion to be immediately apprehended and secured.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of William Duer, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 19, V, folio 439½]
The said report being read, and the several paragraphs considered and debated, and the question put severally thereon, the same was agreed to.
On motion,Ordered, That the Board of War remove, under guard, to a place of security out of the State of Pensylvania, the honble. John Penn, Esqr. and Benjamin Chew, Esqr. and that they give orders for having them safely secured, and entertained agreeable to their rank and station in life.2
[Note 2: 2 This paragraph, in the writing of Charles Thomson, was added to the report on Quakers above.]
A letter, of the 28, from General Washington, at Wilmington, was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of War.
The several matters to this day referred, being postponed,
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.
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