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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, AUGUST 17, 1779
A letter, of 15, from Captain Macpherson, was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to the Marine Committee, who are directed to take order thereon.
A memorial of James Hopkins and a petition of Robert Owen, were read:
Ordered, That they be referred to the Marine Committee.
A memorial from Colonel Harrison, was read:2
[Note 2: 2 Hopkins's memorial is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 41, IV, folio 89; that of Harrison is on folio 87.]
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of War.
A letter, of 8th, from J. Wadsworth, was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to the committee for superintending the departments of the quarter master general and commissary general of purchases.
Ordered, That two members be added to that committee:
The members chosen, Mr. [Jesse] Root, and Mr. N[athaniel] Scudder.
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A letter, of 26 May, from the honble B. Franklin, Esq. minister plenipotentiary of the United States, at Versailles, was read:1
[Note 1: 1 This letter is printed in theDiplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution (Wharton), III, 186.]
Ordered, That it be referred to a committee of three:
The members chosen, Mr. [Henry] Laurens, Mr. [James] Lovell, and Mr. [Meriwether] Smith.
Ordered, That Mr. [John] Penn have leave of absence.
Resolved, That three members be added to the Marine Committee, in the room of members absent, or who have leave of absence:
The members chosen, for Massachusetts Bay, Mr. [Samuel] Holten, in the room of Mr. S[amuel] Adams; for Maryland, Mr. [James] Forbes, vice Mr. [John] Henry; and for North Carolina, Mr. [Joseph] Hewes, vice Mr. [John] Penn.
A letter, of 9th, from Lieutenant Colonel Fleury, was read.2
[Note 2: 2 This letter is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 78, IX, folio 279.]
The Committee on the Treasury brought in a report; Whereupon,
Ordered, That a warrant issue on the treasurer, in favour of Major General Mifflin, late quarter master general, for twenty thousand dollars, to discharge the debts due from that department; for which he is to be accountable.3
[Note 3: 3 This report, dated August 17, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, III, folio 553.]
The committee [commissioners] of accounts report:
That there is due to William Trickett, for stationary supplied the secretary's office, the sum of eight hundred and forty dollars.
That there is due to Robert Campbell, paymaster to the invalid regiment for the pay of the officers and privates of the said regiment, for the month of June last, two thousand one hundred and forty four dollars and 34/90.
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That there is due to Mr. Lotbinier for his pay and subsistance, as chaplain to Colonel Livingston's regiment, from the 10 July, to the 10 August instant, sixty dollars.
Ordered, That the said accounts be paid.
On a report from the Board of War, to whom was referred the memorial of Captain de Luce:
That Captain De Luce has uniformly behaved well since in the service of the United States: but the Board are not ascertained of any extraordinary merit which will bring his case within the exception in the act of Congress on the subject of granting brevets.
We therefore submit the following resolution to Congress.
Resolved, That Congress entertain a very favorable opinion of the merit and services of Captain de Luce, but, in consequence of arrangements lately established, they cannot comply with his request that they would grant him the brevet of major.
Resolved, That the sum of one thousand five hundred dollars be paid to Captain de Luce, to defray the expences of his voyage to France, whither he proposes to return.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, dated August 16 (present, Pickering and Peters), is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, III, folio 568.]
Congress proceeded to the consideration of the report "of the committee" on a farther provision for the army; and thereupon came to the following resolutions:
Resolved, That the half pay provided by the Resolution of 15th May, 1778, be extended to continue for life.
That the widows of all such Officers as may die or be killed in the Service, shall be entitled to receive one half of the payAgreed of their Husbands during their Widowhood.
That untill the further Order of Congress the said Officers be entitled to receive Monthly for their Subsistence Money the Sums following, to wit; Each Colonel and Brigade Chaplain 500 dollars;Agreed August 18 every Lieutenant Colonel four hundred Dollars; every Major and Regimental Surgeon three hundred Dollars, every Captain two hundred Dollars, every Lieutenant, Ensign and Surgeon's Mate one hundred Dollars.
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That untill the further Order of Congress the Sum of ten Dollars be paid to every non commissioned Officer and soldierAgreed August 18 monthly for their subsistence, in lieu of those articles of food originally intended for them and not furnished.
That the Persons above described entitled to receive from any State an Allowance for the consideration aforesaid, shall if thereto required by such State, discharge it from all obligationsSet aside by the previous question to make the said allowance or any part thereof; or otherwise be precluded from the Provision now made by Congress, which shall thereupon be credited in the account of said State with the United States; And all Accounts duly authenticated of Advances and supplies heretofore made by any State to any of the Persons aforesaid, may be rendered to the Board of Treasury and charged to the United States; but any future advance or allowance which may be made by any State for the Purposes aforesaid, after due notice hereof, without the Express Approbation of Congress, shall not be repaid.1
[Note 1: 1 This paper, in the writing of Meriwether Smith, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 21, folio 145.
An amendment or motion, also in the writing of Meriwether Smith, on folio 148½, reads as follows:
"That where provision hath been, or shall be made by any of the States for the Persons above described, equal to the half pay for Life, such States if they shall continue the said Provision shall be intitled to the Provision made by Congress in the foregoing Resolution and credited therefore in Acct, provided the persons aforesaid being at Liberty to make their Election, shall relinquish the Provision made by Congress as aforesaid."
On the back of this motion is the following, in the writing of"and, That all noncommissioned officers and Soldiers, in the Service of the United States, engaged for three years or during the War, in Case they shall serve the same, or be honorably discharged, shall be entitled to receive half pay, according to the present Establishment during Life."]
Resolved, That the consideration of that part of the report for extending the half pay be postponed.2
[Note 2: 2 From this point the entries were made by George Bond.]
Whereas the army of the United States of America have, by their patriotism, valor, and perseverance, in the defence of the rights and liberties of their country, become entitled to the gratitude as well as the approbation of their fellow citizens:
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Resolved, That it be, and it is hereby, recommended to the several states that have not already adopted measures for that purpose, to make such further provision for the officers, and for the soldiers inlisted for the war, to them respectively belonging, who shall continue in service till the establishment of peace, as shall be an adequate compensation for the many dangers, losses, and hardships they have suffered and been exposed to in the course of the present contest, either by granting to their officers half pay for life, and proper rewards to their soldiers; or in such other manner as may appear most expedient to the legislatures of the several states:
On the question to agree to this proposition, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Meriwether] Smith,
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Resolved, That it be, and hereby is, recommended to the several states, to make such provision for the widows of such of their officers, and such of their soldiers inlisted for the war,
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as have died or may die in the service, as shall secure to them the sweets of that liberty for the attainment of which their husbands have nobly laid down their lives.1
[Note 1: 1 These paragraphs, in the writing of John Jay, are in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 21, folio 149. On the back of the sheet Thomson has recorded the vote.]
On the question to agree to this proposition, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Meriwether] Smith,
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So it was resolved in the affirmative.
Adjourned to 10 oClock to Morrow.
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