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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, MAY 11, 1779
Congress resumed M. de Francy's memorial, which being read,
Ordered, That it be referred to a committee of five, and that they be directed to confer with M. de Francy on the subject.
The members chosen, Mr. [Henry] Laurens, Mr. [Meriwether] Smith, Mr. [William] Carmichael, Mr. [John] Dickinson, and Mr. [James] Searle.
The Committee on the Treasury brought in a report; Whereupon,
Ordered, That a warrant issue on the treasurer, in favour of Mr. R[oger] Sherman, delegate from the State of Connecticut, for two thousand dollars, on his application, for which that State is to be accountable.
That a warrant issue on the treasurer, in favour of Colonel Edward Wigglesworth, for thirty three thousand three hundred and thirty three dollars and 30/90, in discharge of a bill, dated 27th April last, drawn by Major General Gates on the President of Congress, for that sum, which being delivered to Benjamin Stelle, deputy paymaster at Rhode island, as per receipt, is to be charged to Ebenezer Hancock, Esq. deputy paymaster general in Boston, who is to be furnished with a copy of this resolve.
That a warrant issue on the treasurer, in favour of Ignatius Labat, for seven thousand two hundred and thirteen dollars,
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in discharge of a bill of the 2d April last, drawn in his favour by Brigadier General McIntosh, and that the sum be charged to Colonel John Gibson of the 13th Virginia regiment, agreeable to his receipt of the date aforesaid.
That on the application of Charles Pettit, assistant quarter master general, a warrant issue on the treasurer, in favour of Major General Greene, Q. M. G., for five million dollars, for the use of his department and for which the said quarter master general is to be accountable.
That a warrant issue on the treasurer, in favour of Jeremiah Wadsworth, Esq. commissary general of purchases, on the application of Messrs. Chaloner and White, his agents, for four million five hundred thousand dollars, for the use of his department, and for which the said commissary general is to be accountable.
That on the application of the Marine Committee a warrant issue on the treasurer in their favour for five hundred thousand dollars, for the use of the navy board of the eastern district, the said committee to be accountable.
That a warrant issue on the treasurer, in favour of Major de Bois, for the sum of nine hundred and sixty dollars, it being in full of his account for one years pay.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, dated May 8, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, III, folio 299. The paragraph on Major De Bois was based on his letter of May 6.]
A letter of this day, from Brigadier du Portail, was read:2 Whereupon,
[Note 2: 2 The letter of Du Portail is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 164, folio 342.]
Congress taking into consideration a report from the Board of War, relative to the corps of sappers and miners,
At a Board of War,March 27th., 1779.
Present, Col Pickering and Mr Peters.
The Board have agreeably to the orders of Congress formed regulations for the government of the Engineers and companies of Sappers and Miners. They would have reported on the travelling expences of
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Engineers, but were informed that a general regulation as to all Officers on Command was about to be made by Congress, and it was thought best, to avoid comparisons and jealousies, that the Engineers should partake of the same regulation, and if at any time extra allowances were necessary, it would be better to make them in every particular case, than to establish a rule for the Engineers only. The Board not conceiving themselves authorized to settle the pay under the power given them tomake regulations have agreed to report to Congress:
Resolved, That the pay and subsistence of the engineers and of the officers and men of the companies of sappers and miners, shall be the same with those of officers of the like ranks and of the men in the artillery of these states:
That Brigadier General du Portail be appointed commandant of the corps of engineers and companies of sappers and miners.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, III, folio 147.]
A letter, of 10 th, from Gustavus Risberg, deputy commissary general of issues, was read;2 Whereupon,
[Note 2: 2 The letter of Risberg is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 78, XVIII, folio 219.]
Congress taking into consideration a report of the Board of War relative to the deputy commissaries of issues and a report relative to the officers in the department of the quarter master general,
At a Board of War,15th April, 1779.
Present, Col Pickering and Mr Peters.
It having been represented that from the advanced price of the necessaries of life the pay of the Officers in the Department of the Commissary General of Issues has become totally inadequate for their support, by which many have already resigned, and others alledge they will be obliged to leave the Department unless some additional provision is made for them. Therefore agreed to report to Congress.
Resolved, That the pay of 200 dollars per month be allowed to the deputy commissary general of issues, to commence from the 1st day of January last:
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That the assistant commissaries of issues at1 every magazine, post, or brigade of the army, be allowed 90 dollars per month, and the clerks of the commissary general, and deputy commissary general of issues, the sum of 80 dollars per month:
[Note 1: 1 From this point the entries are in the writing of George Bond.]
That the clerks of the brigade commissaries, and those at posts and magazines, be allowed 50 dollars per month; but no such clerk to be employed where the daily issues do not equal 400 rations:
That a clerk of the scales be allowed 35 dollars per month:
That every deputy commissary general of issues be entitled to forage for two horses'
On the question to agree to this, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Samuel] Holten,
{table}
So it was resolved in the affirmative.
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That every brigade commissary be entitled to forage for one horse; and whensoever the duty of the department requires the commissaries at posts and magazines to travel, the quarter master at the post shall furnish an horse for the occasion:
When the duty of an assistant commissary absolutely requires that he should travel, he shall be allowed three dollars for every day he shall so necessarily travel, for and towards his expences on the journey:
That the deputy commissaries general of issues shall once in six months visit all the magazines, posts and issuing stores in their respective districts, to examine the state of the provisions and stores, and see that their assistants are punctual in the discharge of their duty; and they shall be allowed three dollars per day for their travelling expences in making such circuits:
That an accurate list of all the commissaries of issues be made out once in every three months and lodged with the Board of War; and every such commissary who shall have been in the department for one year, previous to this date, and now continues therein, shall be entitled to draw out of the cloathier general's store one suit of cloaths for himself and one suit for his clerk, to be paid for at the same rate that officers in the line are charged for the same: and that they continue annually to do the same until Congress shall order otherwise.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, dated April 15, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, III, folio 209. It is endorsed "Bro't in, 19th April."]
At a Board of War,23rd. April, 1779.
Present, Col Pickering and Mr Peters
The Board taking into consideration General Green's letter of the 15th inst, referred from Congress, and conceiving that the reasons therein offered for an augmentation of pay to several of the Officers employed in the Quarter Master Generals Department, are deserving of attention, and that some alterations in the system of his department are requisite: beg leave to Report to Congress.
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Resolved, That all deputy quarter masters general who transact business upon commissions, shall not be entitled either to pay or rations; but where they act without receiving such commissions, whether stationed at a post or with the army, they shall be allowed 200 dollars per month, two rations per day, and 40 dollars per month subsistence:
That the pay of an assistant quarter master be 140 dollars per month, and the usual rations and subsistence:
That the pay of a deputy waggon master general be 100 dollars per month, and one ration [per day], and 20 dollars per month subsistence; and that a waggon master be allowed 80 dollars per month, one ration per day, and 10 dollars per month subsistence:
That a deputy commissary general of forage attending the main army, or attached to an army in a separate department, be allowed the same pay and rations as a deputy quarter master general acting without commissions:
That the assistant commissaries of forage either attending the army to collect forage on a march, or those employed in purchasing under the principal purchasers in districts, shall have the same allowance as the assistant deputy quarter masters general: and the forage masters who attend the receipt and issues of forage at posts or magazines, and one with each brigade of the army, be allowed the same pay and rations as waggon masters:
That all staff officers who serve with the army shall be allowed cloathing on the same conditions as officers in the line, provided they engage for a year or longer.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, III, folio 231. At this point Thomson resumed the entries.]
The committee appointed to inquire into the state of the Pensylvania troops, and to report whether an additional brigadier is wanting for the troops of that State, and to whom was referred a letter from Mr. President Reed to the delegates
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of the State of Pensylvania, which was laid before Congress 26 January last, brought in a report, and the same being read:
That Benedict Arnold was promoted to the Rank of Brigadier General in the Army of the United States on the 10th of January, 1776.
That Arthur St. Clair was promoted to the same Rank on the 9th of August in the same year, and to the rank of Major General on the 19th of February in the year 1777.
That on the 12th of November, 1777. Congress adopted a principle for settling the relative Rank of the officers in the Army of the United States viz.
"According to that standing they held in the Army immediately before their present Commissions, except where persons are promoted upon a principle of merit only."
Your Committee are of opinion that agreeably to this principle General St. Clair cannot take rank of General Arnold.
With respect to the State of the Pennsylvania Troops your Committee Report:
That the said State has Eleven Battalions in the Continental Service.
That the Soldiers in the same are for the most part (as set forth in the Resolutions of the Council of the said State) enlisted during the war.
That a German Battalion in the Service of the United States is supplied by the said State and Maryland in conjunction.
That the proportion of General officers for the said quota, agreeably to the arrangements of the Continental Army, is as follows viz:
Two Major Generals, four Brigadier Generals.
That the said officers ought to be inhabitants of the State of Pennsylvania at the time of promotion, agreeably to the principle, that every State should have officers in proportion to the Soldiers furnished from her Citizens.
That the general officers hereafter named, and none others now in the Continental Service, were inhabitants of the State of Pennsylvania at the time of promotion to wit:
Major General St. Clair, Brigadiers Thompson, Wayne, and Hand.
That one addition[al] Major General ought to be promoted from among the Brigadiers who are now Citizens of the State of Pennsylvania.
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That after such promotion two Brigadiers only will remain who were Inhabitants of the said State at the time of promotion. Therefore the two Colonels from the line of the said State ought to be promoted to the rank of Brigadier.
That Brigadier General Thompson, and Colonel McGaw, who are first in their respective ranks in the said line, are now Prisoners with the Enemy, and therefore cannot be promoted; but so soon as their promotion shall take place, their relative rank, will be regulated by the Resolution of 12th. November.
That Brigadier General Anthony Wayne, is the next Senior Brigadier, and Colonel William Irvin is the next Senior Colonel in the line of the said State.
That the relative rank of the said officers in case of promotion will be regulated and preserved by the Resolution aforesaid.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of Thomas Burke, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 20, II, folio 51a.]
January 10th, 1776, Benedict Arnold was promoted to the Rank of Brigadier General in the Army of the United States.
March 1st of the same year, John Armstrong and several other officers were promoted to the same rank.
August 9th of the same year, Arthur St. Clair was promoted from the rank of Colonel to that of Brigadier.
February 19th, 1777, Brigadier St. Clair was promoted to the rank of Major General.
May 2d of the same year, Brigadier Arnold was promoted to the same rank.
On the 12 of November following, Congress by a Resolution confirmed a principle recommended by a board of General Officers for settling the relative rank of Officers in the Continental Line, according to that standing they held in the army immediately before their present Commissions, except where persons are promoted on a principle of merit only.
In the report made by the said General Officers is the following passage: "We have had retrospect no farther than to the rank they held before their last promotion." From this State, it appears that General Arnold had rank as brigadier General of Generals Armstrong and St. Clair immediately before their last promotion, and therefore
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that the supposed Grievance to Pennsylvania in this particular, is a mistake.
General Armstrong resigned his commission as brigadier, April the 4th, 1777, which being prior to the promotion of General Arnold to the rank of Major General could not be occasioned thereby; this suggestion is without foundation.
Your Committee further report that the State of Pennsylvania having 11 Battalions in Service, and one half a German Battalion, in Company with the State of Maryland, two Major Generals, and four Brigadier Generals, Inhabitants of the said State of Pennsylvania, ought to be in Commission in the Continental Service, on the Principle that every State ought to have Military Officers from her own Citizens in proportion to the Number of her Citizens that are in the ranks.
That at present the State of Pennsylvania has only one of her Citizens in the rank of Major General, to wit Major General St. Clair, and only three in the rank of Brigadiers, to wit, Brigadiers Thompson, Wayne and Hand.
That it will be proper to promote one of the said Brigadiers to the rank of Major General; in Consequence whereof, only two will remain; and two Colonels, Citizens of Pennsylvania, ought to be promoted to the rank of Brigadiers.
That Brigadier General Thompson, and Colonel Robert McGaw each of whom is Senior in his respective rank in the Pennsylvania Line, are now Prisoners of War, and therefore cannot be at present promoted.
That whenever the said officers, or any others shall be promoted, they will take rank, agreeable to the Principle laid down in the resolution of November the 12th, 1777.
Your Committee also report, that by the fourth resolution of the Council of Pennsylvania, relative to General Hand, a mistaken principle of promotion is held up.No State is supposed to have an Exclusive right to theNomination of Officers for promotion, nor is any Delegate in Congress excluded from Nominating from States which he does not represent. In theElection, but not inNomination, the Congress has regard to the Quotas of the States, and Seniority of rank, and the Principle that always governs with respect to the Quota is that above Suggested, namely, that the Troops of each State should have a proportional Number and rank of Officers to the Numbers supplied. In this View General Hand, being an Inhabitant
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of Pennsylvania, however Nominated, must be considered as part of the Quota of Pennsylvania. And as no one State can make or reject General officers, so this resolution of the Council of Pennsylvania cannot be adopted. Neither can the first resolution, relative to the apportionment of General Officers, being founded on a Principle and practice not known to, or admitted by Congress.
That as to the admission of the field Officers of the Troops of North Carolina, such Admission, if it did happen, can avail nothing, officers in the Army not being competent to admit or reject officers of any rank, much less of the rank of Generals. But as they could not know the circumstance of a Nomination in Congress, so it may be presumed this is a mistake; as is the Suggestion that the same was admitted by the Delegates from that State at the time when the Committee of Arrangements made report, there being no delegates from that State present in Congress.1
[Note 1: 1 This paper, undated and in the writing of Thomas Burke, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 21, folio 151.]
Resolved, That an additional brigadier be appointed for the Pensylvania troops, and that to-morrow be assigned for the appointment.
Colonel W. Irvine [was] nominated by the committee.
Resolved, That the farther consideration of the report be postponed.
Ordered, That the committee appointed to prepare an answer to the letter lately received by Congress from his Most Christian Majesty, do also report the draft of a representation to the King of France, stating the difficulties to which these States are exposed in obtaining arms, military and naval stores, and clothing for the American army and navy, requesting his Majesty to order them to be furnished with the necessary supplies, and pledging to him the faith of these States for the repayment of such sums, with interest, as may be advanced on their account, as soon as the restoration of peace shall enable them to make the necessary remittances.
That the said representation contain strong assurances of the confidence of Congress in the friendship of his Majesty, and of their determination to evince the sense they entertain of it by a uniform adherence to the principles of the alliance.
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That the Marine Committee and Board of War lay before Congress, as soon as possible, a list of articles necessary to be imported for the use of their respective departments.1
[Note 1: 1 This order was entered only in the manuscript Secret Journal, Foreign Affairs.]
Adjourned to 10 oClock to Morrow.
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