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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 --MONDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1777
Prayers, Mr. Duffield.
A letter, of the 30, and one of the 31 October, from General Gates at Albany, with one, of the 26, from Governor Clinton to General Gates:
A memorial, from Mons. le Brun; a letter, of the 8,
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and one, of the 10th inst. from William Buchanan, Esqr. commissary general of purchases, were read:1
[Note 1: 1 The letters of Gates are in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 154, I, folios 288 and 292. That of Clinton is in No. 67, II, folio 83; that of Buchanan, in No. 78, II, folio 293.]
Ordered, That the letter from Governor Clinton be referred to the Board of War; and that the letters of the 30 and 31 October, from General Gates, the letters from Mr. Buchanan, and the memorial from Monsr. le Brun, be referred to the Board of Treasury.
Sundry depositions relative to the conduct of one Lieutenant Reynolds, of the additional regiments, were read:
Ordered, That the same be referred to General Washington, and that he be directed to cause strict enquiry to be made into the conduct of Lieutenant Reynolds, as set forth in the said depositions, that if found guilty he may be punished as his crimes deserve.
Congress took into consideration a report of the Board of War of the 6th; Whereupon,
Resolved, That the Committee of Foreign Affairs be directed to write to the commissioners of the United States, in France and Spain, to purchase and ship, on continental account, in armed vessels, in addition to what has been heretofore ordered by Congress, fifty thousand blankets of a proper sort for soldiers five hundred tons of lead, four hundred tons of powder, one million gun-flints, tents for fifty thousand men, and ten thousand yards of flannel for cartridges, to be sent to such ports or places as the said committee shall direct; and that the former orders of Congress, and the commercial committee for cloathing, fire-arms, equipage, brass field-pieces, salt, and other articles, and for 130,000 blankets, be compleated as soon as may be:2
[Note 2: 2 This report, dated November 6 and in the writing of Richard Peters, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, I, folio 383. The members of the Board present were: Francis Lightfoot Lee, William Duer, John Harvie, Joseph Jones, and William Williams. The report called for "all the Blanketts they can possibly procure in any Part of Europe."]
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That the committee be also directed to write to the commissioners, and instruct them to contract with, and send over, by different conveyances, two or three persons, well acquainted with the making of gun-flints, in order to instruct persons in that business, and introduce into these states so useful a manufacture; [likewise, three or more proper persons, skilful in working lead mines and refining lead ore, and three or more persons, skilful in the discovery of sulphur mines, and manufacturing and refining sulphur.]1
[Note 1: 1 This paragraph was an amendment, and is in the writing of Charles Thomson and Henry Laurens, the words of Laurens being in brackets.]
Ordered, That the Commercial Committee, and the Committee of Foreign Affairs, immediately report to Congress what orders they have transmitted to the commissioners of the United States, in France and Spain, for military supplies, designating what have arrived, and such as they are informed have been taken by the enemy, or have miscarried.2
[Note 2: 2 This paragraph was an amendment, in the handwriting of Henry Merchant. It is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, I, folio 384-1.]
Resolved, That General Gates be authorized to order the deputy pay master general to pay, upon the certificates of such officers as he shall think proper, the sums due to the officers and soldiers of the army, under his command, for rations or parts of rations, allowed to, but not drawn by them, respectively, provided the regulations of the commissary's department, relative to the payment of rations as aforesaid, be no longer dispensed with than General Gates shall judge it necessary.
Ordered, That to morrow be assigned for appointing a deputy commissary general of purchases and a deputy commissary of issues in the western department.
Adjourned to 4 o'Clock.
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Four O'Clock, p. m.
Sundry propositions being laid before Congress in addition to the articles of confederation:
Resolved, That a committee of three be appointed to take the same into consideration, and report such as they shall judge proper to be added to the articles of confederation, not changing or altering any of the articles already agreed on.
∥The members chosen,∥ Mr. [Richard] Law, Mr. R[ichard] H[enry] Lee, and Mr. [James] Duane.
A memorial from Monsr. de Vernejous, was read:1
[Note 1: 1 This memorial is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 78, XXIII, folio 61.]
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of War, who are directed to consider the merits and services of Monsr. Fleury, and Monsr. du Plessis, and report to Congress.
∥The several matters to this day referred, being postponed,∥
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.
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