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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, FEBRUARY 11, 1778
A letter, of the 6, from the Board of War, was read:3
[Note 3: 3 This letter is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, I, folio 501.]
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of Treasury.
Resolved, That Major Buisson, who is going into Canada, be promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel, to be appointed to the command only of such Canadians as may be embodied in Canada.
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A letter, of the 10th, from Major John Clark, was read, mentioning his acceptance of the office of auditor, to which the Congress have been pleased to appoint him.1
[Note 1: 1 This letter is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 78, V, folio 137.]
A petition from Colonel John Chandler, of the Connecticut forces, was laid before Congress and read, setting forth, that he labours under a disorder which renders him unable to do his duty in the field, and expressing his apprehension that the fatigues of the camp will prove fatal to him, and therefore praying that he may have leave to resign his commission:2 Whereupon,
[Note 2: 2 This petition, dated January 31, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 42, II, folio 38.]
Resolved, That Colonel John Chandler have leave to resign his commission.
The Committee on the Treasury brought in a report; Whereupon,
Ordered, That a warrant issue on the treasurer in favour of Nons. Fleury, for 200 dollars, for the payment of a horse, and in lien of one he had killed in the public service, and that this sum be paid to John Penn, Esqr.
That a warrant issue on the treasurer in favour of John Gibson, Esq. auditor general, for 13,000 dollars, to enable him to discharge the residue of a warrant of the 1st September last, in favour of the delegates of Georgia; he to be accountable.
That a warrant issue on the treasurer for 126 60/90 dollars, in favour of J[onathan] B[ayard] Smith, Esq. the amount of his account of pay and rations as muster master general of the flying camp and militia in 1776, as settled by John Wilcocks and Peter Chevalier, Esqrs. a committee appointed by Congress for settling the militia accounts.3
[Note 3: 3 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, II, folio 67.]
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A letter, of the 29 January from William Aylett, Esq. to William Buchanan, commissary general of purchases, was laid before Congress, and read:
Ordered, That it be referred to a committee of three: the members chosen, Mr. F[rancis] L[ightfoot] Lee, Mr. [James] Lovell, and Mr. [John] Penn.
The committee to whom the letter of the 2 from Major General Gates was referred, brought in a report, which was taken into consideration; Whereupon, Congress came to the following resolution:
Whereas, General Gates has hitherto retained his aids-de-camp and secretary in his family, having expectations in a short time again to take the field; and whereas, the removal of his family to York town, and their manner of living in a public house, have been unavoidably very expensive, before he could procure a house for them:
Resolved, That a warrant issue on the treasury, payable to General Gates, for thirteen hundred and thirty three dollars and one third of a dollar, in order to reimburse him his extraordinary expences incurred in the public service.
Congress resumed ∥the consideration of∥ the report of the Board of War, on the department of the commissary general of military stores; Whereupon,
Resolved, That there shall be one commissary general of military stores, whose business it shall be to receive and deliver all arms, ammunition, and accoutrements, of every species and denomination; to provide and contract for all such articles as may be wanted in this department, according to the directions he shall receive from the Board of War and Ordnance; to receive and collect returns from all the different states where there are any continental arms and stores, draw them into one general return, and, on the first day of every month, deliver one to the Board of War and Ordnance:
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In case of vacancy, occasioned by death, resignation, or otherwise, of any of the commissaries, commissaries' deputies or conductors, which may happen in any department near to where the commissary general may be, he shall have permission to fill such vacancy, pro tempore, until it shall be confirmed or disapproved by Congress:
All moneys to be drawn on account of military stores, to be, by application of the commissary general or his deputies, to the Board of War and Ordnance; and all moneys so drawn to be accounted for by him once in every six months to the Board of Treasury, or to such auditors or commissioners as the said Board shall direct. All commissaries, deputy commissaries, or conductors, who may have money advanced them by the commissary general for the use of their several departments, to keep regular accounts, and produce vouchers and receipts for the sums paid, and account for the same to the commissary general once every month, or as often as called for.
All continental armourers shall be under the direction of the Board of War and Ordnance, and of the commissary general of military stores; the armourers to receive from the said commissary all arms to be repaired, make returns of the state of repairs when demanded, and deliver the arms when repaired into his store: the principal armourer or armourers at each and every armoury to be accountable for all such arms as he or they shall receive, until they are repaired and delivered to the commissary general, his deputies or assistants; and the said commissary general shall see that every method is taken by the armourers to hasten the repairs of the arms; the principal armourers to receive money from the commissary general for the contingent expences of their departments, and the commissary general shall produce their accounts and vouchers at the adjustment of his accounts:
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That there be as many deputies, assistants, commissaries, deputy commissaries, conductors, and clerks, as the exigency of the service shall require, to be appointed by the Board of War and Ordnance; and the said Board are, from time to time, to report all such appointments to Congress:
That the pay of officers in the department of the commissary general of military stores, be as follows:
Commissary general 100 dollars per month, and 6 rations a day; deputy commissary general, of which there shall be one in each military division of the states, 75 dollars per month, and 5 rations per day:
The commissary general shall be allowed forage for two horses; his deputies, assistants, commissaries and conductors, to be allowed forage for one horse each; and to be furnished by the quarter master general with as many horses on an exigency as the service requires.1 and the captains of the artillery artificers, respectively, when duty requires their travelling to collect materials, to have forage for an horse:
[Note 1: 1 On the margin is the word "disagreed."]
That, for the future, no rank be annexed to the officers in this department, except they belong to the regiment of artillery artificers; and then their rank only to take place as officers of that corps; the pay also which they receive, as officers in that regiment, to be included in the pay herein settled for the officers of the commissary general's department:
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That a return be made to the Board of War and Ordnance, once every month, of all officers employed in the civil branch of ordnance and military stores.
All commissaries, deputy commissaries, conductors, and clerks, who shall have the separate charge of any stores, are, on the first day of every month, to make out an exact return of all cannon and military stores, of every species and denomination, one copy whereof they shall transmit to the commissary general, who is to put them into one general return, as heretofore directed, and one other copy thereof the said commissaries, deputy commissaries, conductors or clerks, are to send to the Board of War and Ordnance.
All the artillery artificers that are or may be employed at any armouries, laboratories, founderies, or military magazines, (those employed with the army in the field excepted) shall be under the immediate direction and subject to the orders and command of the commissary general, or the officer directed by him to take charge of the same.
The quarter master general, his deputies and assistants, shall give the commissary general every assistance of teams for the removal of public stores, and in case there be no quarter master in the department or place from whence the stores are to be removed, the commissary general shall have power to procure teams in the way and manner that will best promote the public service.
That the Commissary General have liberty to appoint one or more Assistants in such places as the exigencies of the service Agreed may make necessary. That their pay while in such service be the same as a Commissary of Stores in his department.
All officers, artificers, and others, in the ordnance and military department shall be governed by the rules and
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articles of war, in the same manner as other officers in the artillery of the United States.
The commissary general shall give such forms of returns and instructions to his deputies, assistant commissaries, conductors, &c. as the service and situation of their department shall require; and all officers in this department are to attend to such orders and instructions as they shall receive, from time to time, from the Board of War and Ordnance or the commissary general.
All regulations incidental to the department, and not enlarging the powers and authorities here given, shall be settled and made by the Board of War and Ordnance.
The Board of War and Ordnance shall transmit, from time to time, as the service shall render necessary, transcripts of all returns received from the commissary general of military stores, and also accounts of all ordnance and stores under their care, or belonging to the United States, and of the places where the same are deposited, to the Commander in Chief of the armies of the United States, in order that he may make such requisitions of supplies for the army under his immediate command, or for the separate departments, as he shall think proper, and give such advice and directions as to the disposition of them, as circumstances may, from time to time, require.
The commanding officer of artillery, for the time being, in the grand army, with the chief engineer, commissary of artillery, and eldest colonel of artillery in camp, or such of them as are present with the army, shall be a subordinate board of ordnance, under the direction of the Commander in Chief or the Board of War and Ordnance, for transacting all business of the ordnance department, necessary to be done in the field, and to have the care of all ordnance and stores at camp; and in case of sudden exigency, the commissary general of military stores shall be obliged to obey their directions as to any supplies
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wanted by the army out of the stores not in camp; and the said board shall correspond with, and report their proceedings to, the Board of War and Ordnance, from whom they are to receive any necessary assistance.
Resolved, That the pay of Colonel Benjamin Flower's corps of artillery artificers shall be, for all those who engage to serve the United States as such, for three years, or during the war, twenty dollars a month, besides the same bounty, cloathing, and every other benefit allowed by Congress to the continental artillery; the officers the same pay as others of equal rank in the continental artillery; and that Colonel Flower augment the four companies ordered to be raised in January last, add other companies to the said regiment, and, if necessary, increase the pay of officers and men in the same, agreeable to such orders as have been given for that purpose by General Washington; and that he be required forthwith to transmit a copy of such orders to Congress.1
[Note 1: 1 In the margin is written: "General Washington has ordered the Pay of the Privates to be increased, and, it is said, he intends to raise that of the Officers in their Corps."]
That if the exigency of the service makes it necessary to employ, at any time or place, more artificers than the commissary may have inlisted or can inlist, then he, his deputies or assistants, may engage them, for the time of such necessity, on the most reasonable terms possible, with the approbation of the Board of War and Ordnance.
Resolved, That Colonel Flower receive the pay and rations of a colonel from the 16 July, 1776, to this 11 February, 1778.2
[Note 2: 2 On the margin is written: "Col. Flower for this time did the duty both of Commissary General and Quarter Master General and received no pay therefor. In the original report this date was January 16, 1777, and these words followed: "The time is when he was appointed Commissary General of Military Stores by his Excellency General Washington; and from that time the pay and rations as herein established, to commence and be received by Colonel Flower."
This report, dated February 5, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, I, folio 495. The members present were Gates and Peters. It is endorsed "Read 7th, postponed."]
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Resolved, That a commission of captain in Colonel Flower's regiment of artillery artificers be granted to Wollory Meng, dated 1 of April, 1777:1
[Note 1: 1 These paragraphs formed a report from the Board of War, dated February 3, and are in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, I, folio 487. A third paragraph, relating to Thomas Dyer, is printed under February 5. The members present were Gates and Peters.]
That Captain Lieutenant Thomas Wylie be promoted to the rank of captain of an additional company to be raised in the said regiment of artillery artificers, his commission to be dated the 1 February, 1778.1
Resolved, That the Board of War and Ordnance be empowered to make a contract with Mr. [James] Byers, as superintendent of a foundery of brass cannon.2
[Note 2: 2 Passed on the recommendation of the Board of War's letter of February 6, in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, I, folio 505. With it are "Heads of Articles to be agreed" upon between the Beard and Byers. A copy of the contract is in No. 41, I, folio 329.]
Resolved, That Captain Ferdinand de Brahm, who has heretofore acted as an engineer in the State of South Carolina, be appointed an engineer in the continental establishment, with the rank of major in the armies of the United States.3
[Note 3: 3 These paragraphs formed a report from the Board of War, dated January 28, with Gates and Peters present.]
That the Corps of Artillery to be stationed in the Northern Department, consist of three companies; the Command whereof, Postponed 11 Feby to be given to Major Ebenezer Stevens, to whom the rank of Lieutenant Colonel be given. This Corps to be separate and distinct from General Knox's Brigade.3
That the three officers and men now in the Grand Camp, belonging Postponed 11 Feby to the Northern Corps of Artillery, be ordered immediately to rejoin their respective Companies.3
Resolved, That Nicholas Rogers, Esqr. aid-de-camp, have a commission of major, to rank from the 12 May, 1777, in the service of the United States.3
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On motion, Resolved, That a warrant issue on the treasurer for two months' pay, to be advanced to Colonel Thomas Hartley, for his regiment, now in York town.
Resolved, That the Board of War be directed to take the most proper measures for recruiting Colonel Hartley's regiment.
A letter, from Mons. Kermovan, was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of Treasury.
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.
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