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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, APRIL 8, 1779
A letter, of this day, from Jon. Trumbull, Jun., was read.2
[Note 2: 2 This letter is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 78, XXII, folio 621.]
A letter, of the 7, from the Board of War, was read; Whereupon,
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Resolved, That the Board of War and Ordnance be authorized to appoint persons to purchase necessaries for the army, until the further orders of Congress.
Resolved, That two members of Congress be elected to attend at the Board of War in the room of Mr. F[rancis] L[ightfoot] Lee and Mr. [Jesse] Root:
The members chosen, Mr. [Joseph] Spencer and Mr. [Samuel] Atlee.
The following gentlemen were nominated to be elected commissioners of the Board of War: Major General ]Heath, by Mr. [William] Ellery, and Colonel Moylan by Mr. G[ouverneur] Morris.
A memorial from Alexander McNutt, in behalf of sundry persons therein named, inhabitants of Great Britain and Ireland, was read, praying "to be admitted to come with their families and effects under a safe conduct, and settle in America, under condition that should it appear upon their arrival that any of them have acted an unworthy part, or are of doubtful characters, then their property be forfeited and they treated according to their deserts."1
[Note 1: 1 This memorial, dated January 5, 1779, and endorsed as read January Il, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 41, VI, folio 99. The other names were Joseph McKnutt, Samuel and Anthony Henderson. A subsequent memorial, dated April 7, and read on this day, is on folio 125.]
Resolved, That the prayer of the memorial be granted.
The committee, to whom was referred the letter of 10th March from the Board of War, brought in a report; Whereupon,
Resolved, That the Board of War be directed to send four pieces of heavy ordnance to the post at Billingsport, on the river Delaware, in addition to what are already there; also to order a detachment of 40 men under the command of a captain and other suitable officers from Colonel Proctor's battalion to garrison the said post; also
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to send two pieces of heavy ordnance to Mud island fort and a detachment of 20 men under the command of suitable officers from the battalion aforesaid, to garrison the said fort.
Ordered, That the remainder of the report be re-committed.
The committee to whom was referred the letter of 12 February from Major General Lincoln, brought in a report; Whereupon,
Resolved, That until a cartel for a general exchange is established between the commanders in chief of the forces of the United States and Great Britain, in order to relieve as much as possible the difficulties pressing upon the prisoners taken during the operations of the forces under the command of General Lincoln, and the British forces who have invaded Georgia; the commanding officer of the southern army for the time being, be authorized to exchange the same to the extent of their relative numbers, on the terms proposed by Major Pinckney to Lieutenant Colonel Provost on the first day of February last, as far as the same will apply to the said prisoners:
That the said commanding officer for the time being, be authorized to dispense with the said terms where he shall judge that humanity or very pressing expediency may require it, and it shall not contravene general utility:
That effectual provision be made by a commissary of prisoners for supplying such of our people as remain unexchanged:
That a deputy commissary of prisoners be appointed for the southern army by the commanding officer thereof.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of Thomas Burke, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 19, III, folio 559.]
The Marine Committee, to whom was referred the memorial of James Budden and others, brought in a
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report, which was taken into consideration; and on motion by Mr. [Thomas] Burke, and seconded,
Resolved, That the Marine Committee be empowered and directed to sell the hulks of the frigates Effingham and Washington, as they now lie at the wharves.
Adjourned to 10 oClock to Morrow.
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