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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, MARCH 2, 1779
A memorial from George Gustave D'Ugglaa was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of War.
A letter, of February 7, from Major De Bois was read:3
[Note 3: 3 Ugglaa's memorial, dated February 25, is in the Papers of the Continental Continental Congress, No. 41, X, 279. A second memorial, dated the 24th, to the Board of War, is in No. 147, III, folio 95. The letter of De Bois is in No. 78, II, folio 383.]
Ordered, To lie on the table.
A letter, of February 8, from E. Hancock, deputy paymaster general in the eastern department, was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of Treasury
The Committee on the Treasury brought in a report; Whereupon,
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Ordered, That a warrant issue on the treasurer, in favour of Mr. W[illiam] Floyd, a delegate from the State of New York, on his application, for two thousand dollars, for which the said State is to be accountable.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, dated February 27, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, III, folio 123.]
The Board of War having represented that application has been made to the Board for arrearages of cloathing due to two regiments for the year 1777, and that other regiments in the service have similar demands, which ought to be adjusted and paid with all the despatch compatible with the prevention of frauds to the United States; Whereupon,
Resolved, That a proper person be forthwith appointed and commissioned to settle and pay all accounts of arrearages of cloathing due to the troops of these states for the year 1777:
That this commissioner be authorized to call on the cloathier general and his deputies, for immediate and exact returns of all cloathing by them issued for the year 1777, shewing at what times, to whom, and for whose use the same was issued; which returns the cloathier general and his deputies are directed to make accordingly. The cloathiers in the several states are also desired to make to the said commissioner similar returns of all the cloathing by them issued for that year, on account of the United States, and the governments of the states respectively are requested to give the orders and assistance necessary for this end. And all officers of the army who have received cloathing for the troops, either of any continental or state cloathier, or by purchase or impressment, are directed to render to the commissioner aforesaid, a return of the same, and account with him for their due application:
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That the Commander in Chief, and officers commanding at any separate posts, do forthwith cause the captains and officers commanding companies, in the troops under their immediate command, to make out the accounts of their respective companies, specifying the names of the claimants still in the service, where they are, what they have received, and what is still due; these points, in cases of doubt, to be ascertained by a particular enquiry of the officers, non-commissioned officers and privates of each company. The accounts thus formed and ascertained, shall be delivered to the regimental pay masters, who shall draw them into a general one, and settle the same with the commissioner aforesaid, and the commissioner shall certify the sums due on such accounts, and to whom; whereupon warrants shall be issued for payment, in like manner as for the monthly pay of the troops:
That the said regimental pay masters pay the arrearages aforesaid to the non-commissioned officers and soldiers themselves, or their representatives, to whom they are due; and account with the commissioner aforesaid for the moneys they received for that use, producing the receipts of the non-commissioned officers and soldiers, or their representatives, as vouchers. And if upon such accounting, there shall appear to be moneys in any pay master's hands, received for non-commissioned officers and soldiers who afterwards died or deserted, the said commissioner shall certify the same to the pay master general, or his deputy, at the post where the regiment of such pay master is stationed, to whom he shall pay over all such moneys remaining in his hand:
That all non-commissioned officers and soldiers entitled to the continental bounty of cloathing, who served in the year 1777, but are not now in the service, and their representatives in case of death, shall also receive the arrearages
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due for such cloathing: provided they produce, or transmit to the commissioner aforesaid, accounts thereof, properly authenticated by the certificates of the officers under whom they immediately served, or other sufficient evidence. And the said commissioner being satisfied therewith, shall certify the sums due on those accounts; whereupon warrants shall issue as aforesaid for payment:
That as in the course of this inquiry it may appear, that the cloathing issued to divers non commissioned officers and soldiers for the year 1777, exceeds the bounty allowed by Congress, the regimental pay masters shall enter the names of such in two separate rolls, for the inspection of the commissioner aforesaid, who shall transmit one of them to the pay master general, or his deputy at the post where the regiments may happen to be, and the other to the commanding officers of the regiments to which such non-commissioned officers and soldiers belong, who shall thereupon be put under stoppages by order of such commanding officers, to the amount of the surplusages of the allowed bounty; for which the regimental pay masters shall account with the pay master general or his deputy aforesaid, upon every application for the regiment's monthly pay:
That the said commissioner be permitted to employ one or more clerk or clerks, to assist him in executing the commission aforesaid, as the business shall require:
That the said commissioner be allowed, while in actual service, the same pay and subsistence as an auditor of the army; and that he be appointed by, and accountable to, the Board of War, and continue in office so long only as they shall think proper; and that his clerk, if the Board of War shall deem it to be necessary he should be allowed one, have the same pay and subsistence as is granted to a clerk of an auditor of accounts in the army.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, dated February 10 (Pickering, Peters, F. L. Lee, and Root, present), is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, III, folio 42.]
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Whereas the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations is invaded, and hath represented to Congress, that by reason thereof it is unable to levy the proportion of the continental tax assigned them for the present year:
Resolved, That 50,000 dollars be taken from the apportionment of the tax for the present year to the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations; and that the same, by the consent of the delegates of the State of South Carolina, be added to the apportionment of that State.
The Board of War to whom was referred the memorial of Mr. D'Ugglaa, represent, that General Pulaski has expressed his wish that Mr. D'Ugglaa should be appointed adjutant to his corps; and therefore beg leave to report,
That Mr. George Gustave D'Ugglaa, be appointed a lieutenant in the legion commanded by General Count Pulaski:1
[Note 1: 1 This report, dated March 2 (Pickering and Peters, present), is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, III, folio 93.]
On the question to agree to the said report, the states were equally divided, and the question lost.
Congress took into consideration the report of the Committee of Conference, and some time being spent thereon,
Adjourned to 10 o Clock to Morrow.
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