| PREVIOUS | NEXT | NEW SEARCH |
A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1875
Journals of the Continental Congress --WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 1778
A letter, of the 14, from Peter Boyer, was read, informing, that the situation of his family and private affairs obliges him to decline accepting the trust of auditor of accounts in the northern district, to which Congress has been pleased to appoint him.
Page 537 | Page image
A letter, of the 15, from William Greene, Governor of Rhode Island, was read, informing Congress of his being elected to that office.
A letter, of 20, from Governor Livingston, and one, of 24, from General Washington, were read, the latter enclosing a memorial from the field officers of the North Carolina batallions, respecting Captain [John] Vance:1
[Note 1: 1 The letter of Boyer is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 78, II, folio 485; that of Greene, in No. 64, folio 402; and that of Livingston, in No. 68, folio 367; the draft of the Washington letter is in the Washington Papers, A, III, folio 409.]
Ordered, That the letter from General Washington with the papers enclosed, be referred to a committee of three;
The members chosen, Mr. [William Henry] Drayton, Mr. [Thomas] M'Kean, and Mr. [Samuel] Huntington.
Resolved, That Mr. [Josiah] Bartlett, for New Hampshire, Mr. S[amuel] Adams, for Massachusetts Bay, in the room of Mr. [Francis] Dana, Mr. G[ouverneur] Morris, for New York, in the room of Mr. [Philip] Livingston, Mr. [William Henry] Drayton, for South Carolina, in the room of Mr. [Henry] Laurens, be appointed members of the Marine Committee.
The Committee on Indian Affairs, to whom was referred an extract of a letter of 10 April, from Colonel Morgan, brought in a report, which was read:
The Committee to whom was referred the Letter from Colonel Morgan, April 10th, 1778, beg leave to report:
That the President under his Seal give the most explicit assurance to Captain White Eyes, Chief of the Delaware Nation, that Congress entertain a high Sence of his great Freindship for, and attachement to these United States. And that also a silver Medal be presented in the name of Congress to Capt. White Eyes, to perpetuate the memory of that great esteem which Congress have for his Merit.2
[Note 2: 2 This report, in the waiting of Richard Law, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 166, folio 383.]
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of War.
Page 538 | Page image
The Committee on the Treasury brought in a report; Whereupon,
Resolved, That the Board of Treasury be authorized to issue their Warrant to any proper Officer of the United States for Postponed impressing an House suitable for an Office for the themselves and the Commissioners of Claims, whenever it shall happen that a proper one can not be otherwise procured.
Ordered, That 700 dollars be advanced to John Henry, Esq.r delegate from the State of Maryland, on his application; the said State to be accountable:1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, II, folio 313.]
Ordered, That 200,000 dollars be paid to Mr. Joseph Nourse, pay master to the Board of War and Ordnance, to be by him transmitted to William Palfrey, Esq. pay master general, for the use of his department; who is to be accountable:
Ordered, That 24,000 dollars be paid to Mr. Joseph Nourse, pay master of the Board of War and Ordnance, on the application of the said Board; it being the remainder of the sum to be advanced agreeable to a resolution of Congress of 6 April last, and to be by him transmitted to Brigadier Pulaski, to compleat the raising and equipping his legion; the said Brigadier Pulaski to be accountable.2
[Note 2: 2 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, II, folio 315.]
Congress resumed the consideration of the report of the committee on the arrangement of the army, which was agreed to as follows:
Establishment of the American Army
I. Infantry
∥Resolved,∥ That each batallion of infantry shall consist of nine companies, one of which shall be of light infantry; the light infantry to be kept complete by drafts from the
Page 539 | Page image
batallion, and organized during the campaign into corps of light infantry:
... 50[Note 1: 1 In the original report the ranks of the first three on the list are given as colonel, lieutenant colonel, and major.]
{table}
[Note 2: 2 "The pay master chosen by the corps; the others appointed by the colonel from among the subalterns." Original report.]
Each of the field officers to command a company.
The lieutenant of the colonel's company, to have the rank of Captain lieutenant.3
[Note 3: 3 "The Field Officers of the light Infantry to be selected from those belonging to the several Battalions. And the Paymaster, &c., as above. An addition of two dollars per month each is made to the Pay of the Serjeants, that good Persons may be got for that necessary office.
"The old arrangement non-Commissioned and Privates consisted of 692. Total 732; their Pay per Month 6,020 Dollars; Rations per month, 23,790.
"The Difference between the Battalions is 150 Dollars per Month, and 4,950 Rations." Original report.]
Page 540 | Page image
{table}
{table}
Page 541 | Page image
IV. Provost
Resolved, That a provost be established, to consist of
This corps to be [drafted from the several brigades] mounted on horseback, and armed and accoutred as light dragoons.1
[Note 1: 1 "Their business is to watch over the Regularity and good Order of the Army in Camp, Quarters or on a March, quell Riots, prevent marauding, straggling and Desertions, detect Spies, regulate Suffers and the like." Original report.]
Resolved, That in the engineering department three companies be established, each to consist of
Page 542 | Page image
These companies to be instructed in the fabrication of field works, as far as relates to the manual and mechanical part. Their business shall be to instruct the fatigue parties to do their duty with celerity and exactness: to repair injuries done to works by the enemy's fire, and to prosecute works in the face of it. The commissioned officers to be skilled in the necessary branches of mathematics; the non-commissioned officers to write a good hand.1
[Note 1: 1 This paragraph was prepared by Francis Dana. These tables, in the writing of Gouverneur Morris, are in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 33, folio 99.]
Resolved, That the adjutant and quarter master of a regiment be nominated by the field officers out of the subalterns, and presented to the Commander in Chief, or the commander in a separate department, for approbation; and that being approved of, they shall receive from him a warrant agreeable to such nomination.
That the pay master of a regiment be chosen by the officers of the regiment, out of the captains or subalterns, and appointed by warrant as above: the officers are to risque their pay in his hands: the pay masters to have the charge of the cloathing, and to distribute the same.
Resolved, That the brigade major be appointed, as heretofore, by the Commander in Chief, or the commander in a separate department, out of the captains in the brigade to which he shall be appointed.
That the brigade quarter master be appointed by the quarter master general, out of the captains or subalterns in the brigade to which he shall be appointed.
Resolved, That two aids de camp be allowed to each major general, who shall for the future appoint them out of the captains or subalterns.
Resolved, That in addition to their pay as officers in the line, there be allowed to an aid de camp 24 dollars per
Page 543 | Page image
month; a brigade major 24 dollars; and a brigade quarter master 15 dollars.
Resolved, That when any of the staff officers appointed from the line are promoted above the ranks in the line out of which they are respectively appointable, their staff appointments shall thereupon be vacated.
The present aids de camp and brigade majors to receive their present pay and rations.
Resolved, That aids de camp, brigade majors, and brigade quarter masters, heretofore appointed from the line, shall hold their present ranks, and be admissible into the line again in the same rank they held when taken from the line; provided that no aid, brigade major, or quarter master, shall have the command of any officers who commanded him while in the line.
Resolved, That whenever the adjutant general shall be appointed from the line, he may continue to hold his rank and commission in the line.
Resolved, That where supernumerary lieutenants are continued under this arrangement of the batallions, who are to do the duty of ensigns, they shall be entitled to hold their rank and to receive the pay such rank entitled them to receive.
Resolved, That no more colonels be appointed in the infantry; but where any such commission is or shall become vacant, the batallion shall be commanded by a lieutenant colonel, who shall be allowed the same pay as is now granted to a colonel of infantry, and shall rise in promotion from that to the rank of brigadier; and such batallion shall have only two field officers, viz: a lieutenant colonel and major, but it shall have an additional captain.1
[Note 1: 1 This paragraph, in the writing of Charles Thomson, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 33, folio 111.]
Adjourned to 9 o'Clock to Morrow.
PREVIOUS SECTION .. NEXT SECTION .. NAVIGATOR
| PREVIOUS | NEXT | NEW SEARCH |