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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, DECEMBER 2, 1778
A letter, of 28 November, from John Baynton, pay master to the troops on the western frontiers, was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of Treasury. A letter, of 27 October, from Mes: Weare, president of New Hampshire, was read.
Also a letter of 6th November from the said Mr. President Weare, with a deposition of Samuel Davis and a deposition of Ephraim Whitney, respecting a quantity of continental money said to be burned; also a memorial of John Hageman and Matthew Hollenbach, respecting sums of continental money said to be lost and burned, were read:2
[Note 2: 2 Weare's letters are in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 64, folios 55 and 59. The depositions of Davis and Whitney are on folios 62 and 64. The memorial of Hageman and Hollenbach is in No. 41, IV, folio 39.]
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Ordered, That they be referred to the Board of Treasury, and that the Board report specially thereon.
A letter, of this day, from Brigadier du Portail, was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of War.
A letter, of 26 November, from General Washington, respecting Mr. John Dodge, was read:1
[Note 1: 1 The letter of Du Portail is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 164, folio 334; and that of Washington, in No. 152, VI, folio 567.]
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of War.
A letter, without date, from John Connolly, was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of War.
A notification from the honorable Sieur Gérard, minister plenipotentiary ∥of France,∥ respecting the authentication of papers, was read.
A letter, of 16 July, from Hon. A. Lee, to the Committee of Foreign Affairs, was laid before Congress, and read.
A memorial from Baron Randerode de Thulier was read;2 Whereupon,
[Note 2: 2 This memorial, dated November 30, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 41, X., folio 41.]
Congress took into consideration a report of the committee on the memorials of Marquis de Britigny and Baron Thulier, and after debate,
The Committee to whom were referred the memorials of the Marquis de Britigney and the Baron de Randerode de Thuillures, report the following draught of a letter to be written to each of them:
Sir, Congress, ever desirous of shewing all possible attention to the subjects of His Most Christian Majesty their good Ally, with concern see that they cannot consistently with the situation of affairs, grant you a rank in the Army of the United States adequate to your merit and their wishes. They thank you for the offer of your services, but must deny themselves the pleasure of accepting it. The zeal you have displayed in the cause of America, and the loss and severity you have sustained and experienced from the enemy, have impressed Congress
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with respect for you. They have delayed to answer your Memorials, with the hope, that circumstances might arise to enable them to make use of your Talents; but they can no longer persevere in a silence, which was induced by favourable intentions, but which has occasioned to you already too long an attendance.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of William Henry Drayton, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 78, III, folio 259.]
Resolved, That it be re-committed.
Ordered, That the letter of 25 November, from Count Pulaski, be referred to the Board of War.
Congress was resolved into a committee of the whole, and after some time the President resumed the chair, and Mr. F[rancis] L[ightfoot] Lee reported, that Congress have had under their farther consideration the propositions referred to them, but not having come to a conclusion, desired leave to sit again:
Resolved, That to morrow, at one o'clock, Congress be resolved into a committee of the whole, to consider farther the propositions referred to them.
Congress took into consideration a report from the Marine Committee respecting Captain Barry, and after debate,
Ordered, That it be re-committed.
Congress took into consideration the report of the committee on the letter from General Heath, and the papers relative to ∥Ensign∥ John Brown, and after debate,
The consideration thereof was postponed.
Six o'Clock p. m.
Congress took into consideration the proceedings of the court martial on the trial of Major General Lee, and a motion was made,
"That the sentence of the general court martial upon Major General Lee be carried into execution:" Whereupon
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it was moved, that the consideration of that motion be postponed.
Upon which the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [William Henry] Drayton,
{table}
So it passed in the negative.
After further debate,
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.1
[Note 1: 1 In thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 59, II, folio 139, is a paper "Ætat dætaillé de chaque pièce composant un fusil prix en France." It is endorsed: "Mr. Pennet's proposal for making fire arms: laid on the table by Mr. Sherman, 2 December, 1778."]
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