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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, OCTOBER 27, 1778
A letter, of 26, from Count Pulaski, was read:
Ordered, To lie on the table.
A letter, of 13, from Major General Gates, at Danbury, with sundry papers enclosed, was read;2 Whereupon,
[Note 2: 2 The letter of Pulaski is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 164, folio 48; that of Gates is in No. 154, II, folio 15.]
Ordered, That General Gates be furnished with a copy of the resolution respecting Lord Balcarras.
Information being given to Congress that there is reason to believe indulgence of paroles hath been granted to the prisoners of the convention of Saratoga, in consideration of money paid and received for the same:
Ordered, That the President write to the council of Massachusetts bay, and request them to enquire into this matter:
That a committee of four be appointed to investigate the truth of this information:
The members chosen, Mr. S[amuel] Adams, Mr. [Nathaniel] Scudder, Mr. [Roger] Sherman, and Mr. [Henry] Marchant.
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A letter, of 11, from D. Waterbury, was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to the Marine Committee.
A commission, under the hand and seal of the hon. Sieur Gérard, ∥ minister plenipotentiary and consul general of France,∥ to Mons. d'Anemours, appointing him consul of France in the State of Maryland, was laid before Congress:
Ordered, That the same be referred to the Marine Committee, and that they take proper measures to notify the same to the State of Maryland.
A letter, of 26, from Major General the Marquis de la Fayette, was read, mentioning the request of Mons. le Vienne for leave to go to France, and to have a commission in lieu of the brevet granted to him; Whereupon,
Resolved, That Mr. le Vienne have leave to go to France, but that he have no other commission than the brevet already granted to him.
Another letter, of 26, from the Marquis de la Fayette, was read,1 taking his leave of Congress.
[Note 1: 1 The letters of Lafayette are in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 156, folios 39, 43 and 47.]
Another letter, without date, from the Marquis de la Fayette, was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to the committee lately appointed to prepare instructions, &c. to the minister plenipotentiary of these states at the court of France.
A letter, of 26, from R. Peters, member of the Board of War, was read:2
[Note 2: 2 This letter is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, II, folio 347.]
Ordered, That it be referred to the committee on the cloathier general's department.
A letter, of 20, from Captain Stoddard, was read;3 Whereupon,
[Note 3: 3 This letter is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 78, XX, folio 323.]
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Resolved, That the sum of five hundred dollars be allowed to the field officers, captains, subalterns, chaplain and surgeon of the light dragoons respectively, in the service of these United States, to compensate the extraordinary expence of his horse and equipment, beyond that of officers of the like rank in the infantry; provided always, that any officer receiving such sum shall be liable to refund the same if he leaves the service during the present war.1
[Note 1: 1 This paragraph appears to be based upon an undated report of the Committee of Arrangement, in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 21, I, folio 171. The report added: "Resolved, That upon the reduction of any corps of light Dragoons, which has performed actual service in the field each officer and each dragoon shall retain his horse, saddle and bridle as his own property."]
A motion being made respecting the officers of Colonel S[eth] Warner's regiment;
Ordered, That it be referred to a committee of three, and that they write to the pay master general on the subject:
The members chosen, Mr. [Roger] Sherman, Mr. M[eriwether] Smith, and Mr. G[ouverneur] Morris.
Resolved, That Major General Lord Stirling be, and he is hereby, directed to permit Colonel Beniah Norton, of Martha's Vineyard, in the State of Massachusetts bay, to go into New York, and that a flag be furnished him for that purpose; and that he be permitted to return when he shall have concluded his business.
The Committee of Commerce brought in a report; Whereupon,
Resolved, That tobacco, the property of the United States, be shipped for the payment of the debts and contracts of the said states:
That the agents in North Carolina and elsewhere, adjust and settle the accounts of their transactions, and that the Committee of Commerce take proper measures to effect the purposes aforesaid:
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That the Committee of Commerce be directed to take care of the commercial concerns of the United States; and that they be empowered to take such steps for that purpose as they shall deem necessary.
The committee appointed to prepare an answer to the governor of Havanna, brought in a draught, which was agreed to.
A Letter from the Marquis de la Fayette was read, containing an Account of the brave Conduct of Monsr. Touzard Captain in the Regiment of Artillery of La Per, in taking Possession of a Piece of Artillery from the Enemy, in which Action he lost his Right Arm by the Discharge of another Piece of Artillery; whereupon
Resolved, That the Gallantry of Monsieur Touzard in the late Action on Rhode Island is deserving of the highest Applause, and that Congress, in Consideration of his Zeal and Misfortune, do promote the said Monsr. Touzard to the Rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the service of the United States by Brevet, and that he do receive a Pension of thirty Dollars per Month out of the Treasury of the United States of America, during his Life.
Resolved, that the Chevalier de Failly of the Regiment of Anjou be promoted to the Rank of Colonel in the Service of theAgreed United States by Brevet and that his Commission bear Date theDay of October 1777.
Resolved, that the President of Congress write a Letter to Monsr le Vicomte de Montroy, Brigadier in the Service of France, informing him that Congress have a high Sense of his Merit andPostponed Abilities, and Regret that the Situation of their Affairs would not permit them to promote him to that Rank in their Service which he was entitled to from what he held in France.
Resolved, that Monsr. Gimat, Aid de Camp to the Marquis de la Fayette, and Lieutenant Colonel in the Service of theY. and N., No United States, be promoted to the Rank of Colonel by Brevet.
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Resolved, that Monsr. do Noirmont, Aid de Camp to the Marquis de la Fayette, and Major in the Service of the UnitedRejected States, be promoted to the Rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
Resolved, that Monsr. Capitaine, one of the Family of the Marquis de la Fayette, and Captain in the Service of the UnitedRejected States, be promoted to the Rank of Major.
Whereas Messieurs Gimat, de Noirmont, Capitaine and la Colombe have been put to great Expences in the Service of theAgreed United States without having received any Money from the Commissaries.
Resolved, That a Committee of three be appointed to confer with the said Persons upon the Expences they have incurred, andAgreed report thereon to Congress.
Resolved, That the committee appointed to prepare instructions to the minister plenipotentiary of the United States to the court of France, &c. be appointed to confer with the said persons upon the expences they have incurred, and report thereon.
Resolved, That Mr. [John] Brice and Mr. [Presley] Neville, Aids de Camp to the Marquis de laAgreed Fayette, be promoted to the Rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Service of the United States by Brevet.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of Gouverneur Morris, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 19, VI, folio 45.]
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.
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