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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, JANUARY 5, 1778
A letter from Mons. Laneuville; one, of this day, from the Rev. Mr. D[aniel] Batwell; one, of the 1st, from General Washington; one, of 20th December last, from Governor Clinton, of the State of New York; one, of the 2d, from the council and general assembly of Pensylvania, ∥were read:∥1
[Note 1: 1 Batwell's letter is in the, Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 78, II, folio 329; that of Clinton is in No. 67, I, folio 94; and that of Pennsylvania is in No. 69, I, folio 449, and a copy in No. 33, folio 83. The, draft of the Washington letter is in the Washington Papers, A., Ill, folio 165. It is printed in Writings of Washington (Ford), VI, 273.]
Ordered, That the letter from Mr. Batwell be referred to the Board of War; that the letter from the council and general assembly of Pensylvania, be referred to a committee of three: the members chosen, Mr. J[onathan] B[ayard] Smith, Mr. [John] Witherspoon, and Mr. [Nathaniel] Folsom.
Ordered, That the letter from Laneuville be referred to the Committee on Foreign Applications.
Resolved, That the Rev. Mr. Israel Evans be appointed chaplain to Brigadier General Poor's brigade.
The committee to whom were referred the propositions of the committee lately sent to the camp, contained in their letter to General Washington, dated White Marsh, 10 December, 1777, brought in a report, which was read:
The Committee appointed to consider the Propositions of the Committee lately sent to Camp, contained in their Letter to General Washington, dared Whitemarsh, 10th December, 1777, and their Memorandum of the Wants of the Army, beg leave to report:--
That all military commission officers, who now are or hereafter may be in the Service of these United States, and shall continue therein to the End of the present War, shall during the Term of Years after the War, if not amended to any Corps of established Troops, or otherwise
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employed by the said States, be entitled to receive half the pay of Officers of equal Rank, who shall be then in the Service; provided that such half pay Officers shall at all times be liable to be called into Service, and during that Service shall receive full pay, and be subject to such Regulations as Congress shall from Time to Time judge necessary.1
[Note 1: 1 On folio 183 is the following paragraph in the writing of Elbridge Gerry, probably an amendment: "When not annexed to any Corps of established Troops, or holding or enjoying any Office of Profit under the said States or any of them, be entitled annually to receive half the Pay of Officers of equal Rank then in actual Service, and that such half pay Officers shall at all Times be subject to the Regulations of Congress, and hold themselves in Readiness for and be liable to be called into actual Service during which they shall receive full Pay."]
That all such military commission Officers shall in Time of Peace, be authorized to dispose of their Commissions to such Persons as shall be approved, and under such Regulations as shall be prescribed by Congress.
That the Widows of all Commission Officers, who in the present War, shall hereafter lose their Lives in the Service of the United States, shall during their Widowhood be entitled to receive onePart of the Pay of Officers of equal Rank then in the Service; and in order thereto, each Widow shall withinMonths after her Husband's Decease, if under the Rank of a Brigadier, produce a Certificate from the Commanding Officer of the respective Regiment or Corps, specifying the Name of her Husband, the Time, Place and Manner of his Death, his Rank, the Regiment or Corps, and company to which he belonged, and the Name of the State and Town or District in which he resided, which Certificate being endorsed by the respective Major or Brigadier General, and also by herself, shall be lodged at the Office hereafter mentioned, from whence the Pay shall be annually drawn. And the proper Certificates of the Deaths of general Officers shall issue from the Commander in Chief, and being endorsed by each respective Widow, shall by her be sent to the Office aforesaid; provided that, if any of the said Widows shall not reside within these States, the Officer whose Duty it may be to give the Certificate shall send it to the Office (endorsed by the respective Major or Brigadier General, if the Officer deceased is not of higher Rank than Colonel) or be responsible for the Damages arising from Neglect.
That a Pension Office be forthwith opened, and kept in the Place
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where Congress shall from Time to Time hold its Session, under the Direction of one Commissioner to be appointed by Congress, and that he be allowedDollars per Day, and empowered to appoint two Clerks, when he shall judge it necessary.
That it shall be the Duty of the said Commissioner to receive the Certificates aforesaid, preserving in separate Files those of the General Officers, and of each Regiment and Corps; to keep an alphabetical Register of the Names of such Officer's Widows and of the Particulars set forth in the Certificates; to deliver to the Order of each Widows or in Case of her Decease before it can be drawn, to the Order of her Administrator or Executor, the Pay to which by the preceding Resolves she may be entitled, annually made up to the 1st Day of May; provided that on the Back of each Order for the Pay of Widows, resident within these States, shall be endorsed a Certificate from a Justice of the Peace in or near to the Place of her Residence, that she was alive and continued in a single State to the Time for which the Pay shall be so drawn; and a similar Certificate shall be produced on the Back of each Order drawn by the Widow of any foreign Officer who shall die in the Service of these States under the Hand and Seal of a Notary Public of the State in which she may reside, which Certificate shall also be endorsed by one of the Commissioners of the United States in such State.1
[Note 1: 1 At the end of this paragraph is written the following: "Postponed to Commte. Whole."]
That General Heath be directed to order the Deputy Quarter Master General of the Eastern District, forthwith to Agreed provide one thousand good bell Tents, and send them to the Army under the Command of General Washington.
That General Washington be authorized to employ a Printer with a travelling Press to attend the Army, and that it be under the Inspection of himself or such other Person or Persons as he shall appoint; who shall not admit personal alterations, or other Matter Postponed on amendment, by motion, N. Y. not tending to promote the public Welfare, to be inserted in any of the Publications or Hand Bills of the Army, and shall constantly transmit some of each Impression to the President for the Perusal of Congress.
That each Regimental Paymaster keeping an Horse shall Postponed. be allowed Forage therefor.
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That Brigadier General Wilkinson be appointed Secretary to the Board of War, and directed forthwith to attend Congress.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of Elbridge Gerry, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 21, folio 177. It is endorsed:
"Who appoints Deputy Paymasters in the several States, the P. M. Gem or Congress?
"The Congress has appointed a pay Mr. General, a Depy. pay Mr. Gen., in the Northern Department in the Eastern and in the Southern Department.
"Congress empowered the Depy. pay Mr. Gen. in the Northern Department to appoint one assistant."
The first paragraph is in the writing of Henry Laurens; the last two, in that of Charles Thomson.
The report is also endorsed: "1778. Before the Committee of the Whole on propositions of Committee sent to Camp."]
Ordered, That the consideration thereof be postponed to the afternoon.
Congress proceeded to the election of an adjutant general, in the room of Colonel Pickering, who is called to the Board of War, and the ballots being taken, Colonel Alexander Scammel was unanimously elected.
Adjourned to 3 o'Clock, P. M.
Three o'Clock
The Committee on the Treasury brought in a report which was taken into consideration; Whereupon,
Resolved, That a warrant issue on the Treasury in favour of Samuel Lyon, for 611 20/90 dollars, in discharge of Daniel Tillinghast, agent in Providence, for his order dated the 13 September last in favour of said Lyon for £183 7 4 lawful money, the Marine Committee to be accountable.
Ordered, That a warrant issue on the treasurer in favour of Samuel Lyon for 611 20/90 dollars, in discharge of an order of Daniel Tillinghast, agent in Providence, dated the 13 September last, in favour of the said S. Lyon.
Ordered, That the following warrants issue in favour of Blair M'Clenachan and James Caldwell, for the payment of a quantity of salt petre, sulphur, and lead, amounting to
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61,719 30/90 dollars, purchased of them by the Board of War for the use of the United States of America, and delivered to Leonard Jarvis, Esqr. at Dartmouth, the 25 November last; for which the said L. Jarvis is to be accountable, viz.
One on Thomas Smith, Esqr. commissioner of the continental loan office for the State of Pensylvania, for 47,000 dollars, to be paid in loan office certificates, to bear date the 25 November last, as per agreement; and
One on the treasurer for 14,719 30/90 dollars.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 132, II, folio 5. It called for 29,719 30/90 dollars from the Treasurer, and 32,000 from the Loan Office.]
Congress took into consideration the report of the committee on the propositions, &c., and, after debate,
Resolved, That the consideration of the two first paragraphs be postponed to Wednesday next, and that the consideration of the remainder be postponed till to morrow.
Resolved, That the appointment of auditors be farther postponed.
∥The several matters to this day referred, being postponed,∥
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.
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