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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, JULY 13, 1779
A letter, of 9, from General Washington, was read, enclosing copy of a letter, of 7th, from Governor Trumbull, and of one, from Colonel Sheldon:1
[Note 1: 1 Washington's letter is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 152, VII, folio 519; that of Sheldon is on folio 527.]
Ordered, That the same be referred to a committee of three:
The members chosen, Mr. [Henry] Marchant, Mr. [Samuel] Huntington, and Mr. [John] Armstrong.2
[Note 2: 2 This committee was discharged November 13, 1779.]
A letter, of this day, from G[eorge] A. Baker, deputy commissary general of issues, was read,3 mentioning sundry frauds in the department of the commissary of purchases:
[Note 3: 3 This letter is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 78, III, folio 333.]
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of War, and that they take immediate and effectual measures for detecting the authors of the frauds mentioned, bringing them to punishment, and preventing like practices for the future.
A memorial of Francis Hopkinson, treasurer of loans, was read:4
[Note 4: 4 The memorial of Hopkinson is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 41, IV, folio 79.]
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of Treasury, and that they take order thereon.
A letter and memorial from Joseph Calvert, were read:
Ordered, That the same be referred to the Committee of Commerce, and that they take order thereon.
A memorial from Archibald McSparran and a letter, of April 20th, from John Brown, were read:5
[Note 5: 5 The memorial of McSparran, dated the 10th, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 42, V, folio 148; the Brown letter is in No. 78, III, folio 309.]
Ordered, That they be referred to the Board of War.
On a report from the Board of War,
Resolved, That Captain M'Lane's company, now attached to the Delaware regiment, and the dismounted dragoons
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belonging to Major Lee's partizan corps, be formed into a fourth troop and added to the corps: this troop to be commanded by Captain M'Lane, and to serve on foot: the numbers of which it is to consist, to be ascertained, and the rest of the officers thereof to be appointed by the Commander in Chief.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, III, folio 515. Present, Pickering and Peters.]
Mr. [John] Witherspoon and Mr. [Samuel John] AtIee, two of the members of the committee appointed to go to the New Hampshire grants, laid before Congress an account of their proceedings, which was read.
Mr. Witherspoon and Mr. Atlee, two of the Members of the Committee appointed to go to the New Hampshire Grants, beg leave to lay before Congress the following Account of their Proceedings:
That as soon after their Appointment as they had Reason to think the other Members had full information of their appointment and Time to meet them, they proceeded, and when at Albany sent an Express to Stockbridge to Mr. [Pierpont] Edwards, requesting him to forward it to the other Members that the Committee might meet at Bennington.
That the Subscribers not meeting with the other Members of the Committee, but having with them a Member of the New York Assembly, who lives upon the Grants, and had been himself one of the Prisoners taken by Colonel Allen, as well as finding at Bennington Mr. Chittenden, calling himself the Governor of the State of Vermont, and many others concerned in the Government of it, thought it their Duty to do any Thing in their Power to promote the Ends of their Mission, the rather, that the Committee were directed to make Enquiries to take measures to promote Peace and to report specially to Congress.
That they endeavoured to settle the present Disorders in the eastern part of the Grants by persuading Mr. Chittenden to write to his Adherents to forbear all Violence in the meanwhile, and by writing themselves to the People who adhered to the Government of New York. Copies of both Letters are herewith given in marked No. 1 and 2.
That they conversed at great Length with all the Persons then at
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Bennington and went at the Request of one of the Adherents of New York Government to Shaftesbury for the same Purpose; that they endeavoured by many Queries to obtain a clear View of the interfering Claims as to Property, to know the Disposition of the People, and to persuade them to an amicable accommodation of the Differences which have so long prevailed, and took in writing the Answers to the Queries by Mr. Chittenden, after consulting with a Member of his Council and Members of Assembly, which are now laid before Congress in a writing marked No. 3.
That they were treated by the People with great Givility and Respect, and were solemnly assured by them all that they did not mean to break the Union of the States or give Encouragement to the Common Enemy, but were heartily willing on Condition that Time was given them and due Notice to represent their Case, to submit themselves and finally to abide by the Decision of the United States in Congress assembled, as appears by the last part of the Paper above referred to, No. 3.
That after the Subscribers had returned to Albany in their Way home, they were overtaken by two Men who informed them that while they were at Bennington, there had been a new Disturbance in the eastern Part of the Grants where the Endeavours for settling the Differences were not known. On this Occasion they received a Letter from Mr. Chittenden, which with their Answer they lay before Congress, No. 4 and 5.
Upon the whole they hope that Matters will be quiet there untill Congress shall take some farther Steps in Consequence of the Information now laid before them.
Jno. Witherspoon
Saml J. Atlee1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of John Witherspoon, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 41, I, folio 233.]
On motion of Mr. [Elbridge] Gerry, seconded by Mr. [John] Penn,
Ordered, That a warrant issue on the treasurer, in favour of Nathaniel Appleton, Esq. commissioner of the continental loan office in the State of Massachusetts bay, for six hundred dollars, to be paid to Lieutenant Carlton, the officer commanding the escort of bills of the emissions of May 20, 1777,
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and April 11, 1778, transmitted to the treasurer of loans by the said commissioner, who is to be accountable, and to be furnished with a copy of this order.
The delegates of Pensylvania bid before Congress a letter, of 12, from J. Reed, president of the said State, which was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to the committee for superintending the departments of the quarter master and commissary general.
Congress in a Committee of the Whole.1
[Note 1: 1 This line was entered only in the manuscript Secret Journal, Foreign Affairs.]
Adjourned to 10 oClock to Morrow.
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