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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 --TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1777
The Committee on the Treasury brought in a report, which was taken into consideration; Whereupon,
Ordered, That a warrant issue on the auditor general in favour of the Honble. Nathaniel Folsom, Esqr. ∥delegate from New Hampshire∥ for 1,000 dollars advanced the State of New Hampshire, upon his application; the said State to be accountable:
Ordered, That there be advanced to the Chevalier de la Colombe, a captain in the army, the sum of 120 dollars; he to be accountable: the warrant to issue on the auditor general.
Ordered, That a warrant issue on the auditor general in favour of Winslow and Ingraham, for 4,323 60/90 dollars, for the payment of a quantity of leather purchased of them by Mr. William Henry, for public service; Mr. William Henry to be accountable.2
[Note 2: 2 This report, dated November 22, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, I, folio 489.]
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The commissioners for building ships of war in Virginia, having represented to the Marine Committee the necessity of a guard being provided for the protection of the continental frigates now on the stocks in that State against the efforts of the enemy's ships of war, five of which lie frequently within ten miles of the yard where the frigates are building, and the committee having taken the same into consideration, brought in a report, which was read; Whereupon,
Resolved, That the governor and council of Virginia be requested to provide such a guard, from time to time, at the continental expence, as may be deemed necessary by the said commissioners, upon consideration of circumstances, for the protection aforesaid; and also to furnish the said commissioners with arms and ammunition sufficient to enable the men working in the yard, to assist the guard in repelling any attempt that may be made by the enemy for the destruction of the frigates aforesaid.
Resolved, That the commissioners aforesaid be authorized to prepare a few fire-rafts for the better security of the said frigates, it being represented by the commissioners that such rafts may be of considerable service, and fixed at no great expence.
Resolved, That for the purposes of laying in provisions, and other expences of the said yard, an order be drawn on the loan office for the State of Virginia, in favour of the Marine Committee, or their order, for the sum of ten thousand dollars, to be remitted to the commissioners aforesaid.
The Board of War brought in a report, which was taken into consideration; Whereupon,
That the Executive Powers of the respective States take Bonds in their Names, but for the use of the United States, in such sums as shall by the said Executive Powers be deemed adequate, from the
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several persons appointed for the purpose of recruiting and taking up Deserters in the Districts into which each State is, or shall be divided agreeable to the Resolve of Congress of theDay oflast with Condition to such Bonds annexed to the Effect following. "That the said Person or Persons so respectively appointed, or to be appointed in the said Districts shall and do faithfully discharge the Trust reposed in him or them by using all diligence in the Execution of the same, and rendering true and just accounts of all Monies which shall come to his or their hands for the Purposes of his or their Appointment, to the said Executive Powers of the said States respectively." That the said Executive Powers be authorized from time to time to draw on the Continental Treasury for such sums as shall be advanced to the Persons so appointed in their several Districts for the purposes aforesaid, whom they are to call to account, so often as they shall see occasion, and finally render Accounts to the Treasury Board of all Expenditures in this service.
Resolved, That General Washington be directed to publish in general orders, that Congress will speedily take into consideration, the merits of such officers as have distinguished themselves by their intrepidity and their attention to the health and discipline of their men; and adopt such regulations as shall tend to introduce order and good discipline into the army, and to render the situation of the officers and soldiery, with respect to cloathing and other necessaries, more eligible than it has hitherto been.
Resolved, That Governor Caswell be desired to appoint proper persons within the State of North Carolina, to purchase, with secrecy and despatch, all the merchantable leather and deer skins in that State proper for the making shoes, breeches, saddles, harness, and military accoutrements: that he be desired to detain so much thereof as can be manufactured into shoes and breeches within the space of four months, sending on to the cloathier general, at Lancaster, in Pensylvania, the shoes and breeches which may be made, from time to time, and
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delivering the residue of the said leather and skins to the order of the Board of War: that he be authorized to draw on the treasury for such sums as shall be necessary for the execution of this business, and transmit accounts of the prices given, and quantities purchased, to the Board of War and cloathier general.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, I, folio 395. The members of the Board present were: Francis Lightfoot Lee, John Harvie, Joseph Jones, William Duer, William Williams, and Jonathan Bayard Smith.]
A petition from John Simpers was read, setting forth, "that his brother, Thomas Simpers of Coecil county, in the State of Maryland, was taken into custody at the Head of Elk, in the said county, about the 1st week of September last, on suspicion of having dealt with the English army then at Elk, and carried to the American army, then in the Delaware State, put in the provost guard, and sent from place to place, and is now confined in Eastown gaol, in the State of Pensylvania, and praying that he may be returned back to Coecil county, in order to undergo his trial for the supposed offence;" Whereupon,
Ordered, That the said petition be referred to General Washington, and that he be directed to give orders that the prisoner be remanded to Coecil county, in the State of Maryland, there to undergo his trial agreeable to the laws of that State; the prisoner to bear the expences of his removal.
Resolved, That a committee of five be appointed to enquire in what manner the department of the cloathier general has been executed, and report such regulations as they judge necessary to be adopted for the better execution of that office.
The members chosen, Mr. [John] Harvie, Mr. [Elbridge] Gerry, Mr. [Eliphalet] Dyer, Mr. [Daniel] Roberdeau and Mr. [William] Duer.
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The Committee on the Treasury brought in a report; Whereupon,
Ordered, That a warrant issue on the treasurer in favour of Jean Baptist Mourgens, late a lieutenant in Colonel Livingston's regiment raised in Canada, for 78 dollars, as a recompence for his extraordinary services in Canada, performed by desire of General Sullivan, and for his expences in performing the said service.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, I, folio 491.]
∥The several matters to this day referred, being postponed,∥
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.
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