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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 --THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 1779
A letter, of 8, from General Washington, was read, enclosing an extract of a letter from Major General Putnam, giving an account of the enemy's attempt on Horse neck, on the 25 February:1
[Note 1: 1 This letter is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 152, VII, folio 163; the enclosure is on folio 167.]
Ordered, That the same be referred to the Committee of Intelligence.
A letter of this day from Mons. Mauleon, was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to the Marine Committee, and that they be directed to take such order thereon as they judge proper.
A letter, of 10, from the Board of War, enclosing a letter of 9, from Mr. President Reed, was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to a committee of three:
The members chosen, Mr. [Thomas] Burke, Mr. [Gouverneur] Morris, and Mr. [John] Armstrong.
A letter from Lieutenant William Ritter, of Colonel Proctor's regiment, was read, desiring leave to resign his commission:2
[Note 2: 2 This letter is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 78, XIX, folio 273.]
Resolved, That his resignation be accepted.
A letter, of 9, from the Board of War, was read, recommending that Mons. Wendel, of the company of Penet, Wendel & Company, whom they represent as necessary for establishing and directing the said company's manufactory
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of arms in the United States, have the rank of lieutenant colonel of artillery, by brevet, in the continental army.
War Office, March 9th, 1779.
In obedience to the Orders of Congress, this Board have contracted with Mr Penet and Company for 100,000 fire-arms, to be manufactured in these States. But agreeably to his first infor intimation, Mr Penet represents the great necessity of Mr Wendel's coming to America, to establish and direct the Manufactory. This gentlemen he says, is Captain of Artillery in France, and has served in that corps four and twenty years; that he has, by order of the King, for many years directed the royal Manufactory of Arms; that he is a man of great merit and genius, in the estimation of the Ministry and his own Corps, and possessed of a plentiful fortune. Mr Penet believes that Mr Wendel will be the more readily induced to undertake this important service, if Congress shall be pleased to honor him with some mark of their confidence and good opinion and as he is an Officer of Artillery in France and of such Merit, Mr Penet requests that the brevet rank of Lieutenant Colonel may be granted to him, at the same time explicitly declaring, that Mr Wendel will not from thence form any pretensions to serve in the Army, or to any appointment whatever.
Convinced by Mr Penets information, of the very important advantages that will result to the Manufactory (and consequently to these States) from Mr Wendel's superintendance of it, the Board are of opinion that no reasonable inducement to his coming should be withheld; and believing that on the principle upon which the Commission is requested no inconveniences to the service can arise: We beg Leave to Report:
It being represented to Congress, that Mr Wendel, of the company of Penet, Wendel & Company, is a gentleman of great merit and genius and will be very necessary for establishing and directing the said Company's Manufactory of Arms in the United States: he having likewise been Captain of Artillery in France for four and twenty years past.
Resolved, That Monsr Wendel, have the rank of Lieutenant Colonel of Artillery by brevet in the army of the United States, and that a brevet be made out accordingly, and lodged in the War Office, to be delivered to him upon his arrival in the United States.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, III, folio 117.]
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On the question to agree thereto,
Passed in the negative.
The committee to whom was referred the petition of John Donell brought in a report, which was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of Treasury.
A motion being made,
That a million of dollars be immediately sent forward to the deputy paymaster general in South Carolina and G[eorgia] for the use of the southern department:
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of Treasury.
The Board of War brought in a report; Whereupon,
Resolved, That the engineers in the service of the United States shall be formed into a corps, and styled the "corps of engineers;" and shall take rank and enjoy the same rights, honours, and privileges, with the other troops on continental establishment:
That a commandant of the corps of engineers shall be appointed by Congress, to whom their orders, or those of the Commander in Chief, shall be addressed; and such commandant shall render to the Commander in Chief, and to the Board of War, an account of every matter relative to his department:
That the engineers shall take rank in their own corps, according to the dates of their respective commissions:
That every year, previous to the opening of the campaign, the commandant of the corps shall propose to the Commander in Chief, and to the Board of War, such a disposition of the engineers as he shall judge most advantageous, according to the knowledge which he is supposed to have of their talents and capacity.
Resolved, That the Board of War be empowered and directed to form such regulations for the corps of engineers and companies of sappers and miners, as they judge
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most conducive to the public service; and that the Board report such allowances as they judge adequate and reasonable to be made to officers of the corps of engineers for travelling charges, and when on command at a distance from camp, or in places where they cannot draw rations.1
[Note 1: 1 The regulations prepared by the Board of War to make these resolutions effective are in the Washington Papers, Letters to Washington, No. 93, folio 62.]
A letter from Samuel Crawford was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to the Marine Committee.
Congress was resolved into a Committee of the Whole to consider farther the report of the committee on the communications from the Minister of France, &c., and after some time, the President resumed the chair, and Mr. F[rancis] L[ightfoot] Lee reported, that the committee have had under their farther consideration the report to them referred and made some farther progress, but not having come to a conclusion, desire leave to sit again.
Resolved, That Congress will on Monday next resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole to consider farther the report of the committee on the communications, &c.
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