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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 --WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1779
Mr. Thomas Burke and Mr. Allen Jones, delegates for the State of North Carolina, attended, and produced their credentials, which were read, as follows:
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State of North Carolina.
In General Assembly, 26 October, 1779.
The Committee, who were appointed to Superintend the Balloting for Delegates to represent this State in Congress the Ensuing year, Reported, That by a Majority of the votes of both Houses of the General Assembly, Whitmill Hill, Thomas Burke and Allen Jones, Esquires were Elected as Delegates.
The House taking the said Report into consideration, concurred therewith.
A. Nash, S. S.
Thos: Benbury, S.C.
By Order
Tho Sitgreaves, C. S.
J Hunt, C, H. C.1
[Note 1: 1 The original is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, North Carolina, Credentials of Delegates.]
State of North Carolina.
In General Assembly, 28th October, 1779.
Resolved, That Whirmill Hill, Thomas Burke and Allen Jones. Esquires, Delegates appointed by the present General Assembly to represent this State in Congress the ensuing year, in conjunction with John Penn, Cornelius Harnett and William Sharpe, Esquires, be and they are hereby invested with the same powers and Authorities that the Delegates appointed by any former Assembly of this State were invested with.
Resolved, that His Excellency the Governor be impowered and requested to make out Commissions to Whitmill Hilt, Thomas Burke and Allen Jones, Esquires, as Delegates, certifying the powers and Authorities which they are invested with, to which the great Seal of this State shall be affixed.
A Nash S. S.
Thos: Benbury S.C.
By Order,
Jno Sitgreave C. S.
J. Hunt, C H. C.1
A letter, of 28 July, from Amsterdam, and one without date, from A. Lee, were read:
A letter, of this day, from F. Lewis, was read, signifying his acceptance of the office of commissioner of the Board of Admiralty.
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A letter, of 7, from E. Blaine, was read.1
[Note 1: 1 The letter of Lewis is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 78, XIV, folio 295; that of Blaine, in No. 165, folio 307.]
A letter, of 7, from the Board of War, was read; Whereupon,
War Office, December 7, 1779.
The Board are extremely embarrassed in their attempt to execute the orders of Congress on the subject of the Troops intended to reinforce the southern army. From a want of information of the probability of a convoy to guard the Transports if they could be provided from Chesapeak, and the seeming impracticability of providing Transports in that Bay, we have ordered on the North Carolina Brigade by water to Christeen, thence to the head of Elk by land, and from thence to Petersburg in Virginia by water. The wagons attached to the Brigade are ordered on to Petersburg, as there is a great appearance of impracticability in providing wagons in Virginia. All the information we have collected from Gentlemen having the latest knowledge of the situation of that country tends to evince the opinion we have formed, that it will be next to impossible for the Troops to march by land in any time short enough to be of use in the relief of the country against an invasion in force by the Troops of the Enemy, even if those Troops are yet to be sent from the City of New York. The rapidity of their Transportation and safety of convoy will give them every advantage, and altho' in our circumstances every thing must be attempted, we conceive that little dependence is to be placed in a reinforcement from this quarter, which will lessen every mile of its progress by land if its march can at any rate be accomplished. Whether any troops can be sent from North Carolina time enough to give a check to the Enemy or not, is a subject we are unacquainted with, but if it could be done we humbly conceive it would be advisable.
We cannot undertake to determine in favor of the passage of the Virginia troops by water, uninformed as we are on most points necessary to be taken into consideration. We therefore shall direct their progress from hence to Williamsburg, where they can be best accommodated, and shall direct the quarter master to provide for their proceeding from thence with all the speed circumstances will admit. But we do not yet know how many men will be ordered on, as the Comd. in Chief means to retain those whose times will expire in or before January; and what proportion of them are under this predicament
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ment we know not. It appears that it will take near one month from this time to collect wagons at Williamsburg sufficient for the use of the supposed number of Troops, and it does not appear certain that wagons can even be had in that time to transport the baggage and stores the whole way, as they must be hired, and the people have an utter aversion to the service. The Assistant Qr. Master Genl (Mr Petit) informs us that there is a great scarcity of forage, and that all the Deputies are out of money to buy it. Whereas magazines should have been timely provided thro' the whole route, and we believe that a single regiment would under present circumstances meet with the greatest difficulties in their march to Charlestown. The distresses therefore of a larger Body must be accumulated in proportion to their numbers.
It therefore appears to us that the Virginia Troops must halt at Williamsburg until the means of their proceeding farther are more safe and certain, and as the North Carolina brigade will exhaust all the present supplies on the road, The wagons now attached to the former, should proceed to Williamsburg, and having their wearied horses replaced proceed the whole way with the troops. Magazines of forage and provision should be laid up at proper places and to effect this the quarter Masters and commissaries departments should be well supplied, and that immediately, with money. When the Commanding Officer of the Troops at Williamsburg is ascertained of the practicability of proceeding, he should march off the Troops by detachments as circumstances render necessary. On the whole we are of opinion that a period of at least three months will have elapsed before the Virginia Troops can possibly arrive in South Carolina, and then they will be much reduced by desertions and other casualties.
We have troubled Congress on this subject that they might be acquainted with our ideas of the embarrassments to be contended with, and that they may be pleased to fall on every possible measure to remedy them. If Congress are possessed of information relative to the safety of water transportation the whole way, the measure will certainly be the most eligible; but the dangers now apparently attending it are in our view so great that we will not undertake to determine it without the positive directions of Congress. Whether if the Convoy is in Chesapeak, transports can be had we know not. The greater gains made by the owners of vessels in private than in public service will create an aversion in the Merchants to hire them as transports.
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P.S. The General seems in the postscript of his letter to Congress to be decisively of opinion, "that we cannot attempt to succour Georgia and South Carolina by a land march of Troops."1
[Note 1: 1 This letter is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, II, folio 639.]
A motion was made by Mr. [John] Mathews, seconded by Mr. [Cornelius] Harnett,
That the Board of War be directed to use the best means in their power, to forward by land the Virginia troops to join the southern army.
A motion was made by Mr. [William] Ellery, seconded by Mr. [James] Forbes,
That the consideration of the foregoing motion be postponed until the committee who are gone to head quarters, and, among other things, were to confer with General Washington on the state of the southern department, shall have reported the result of their conference.
A division of the last motion was called for, and on the question to postpone the consideration of the first motion, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [John] Mathews,
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So it passed in the negative.
Congress proceeded in the consideration of the first motion, which being amended by striking out sundry words:
On the question, Resolved, That the Board of War be directed to forward the Virginia troops to join the southern army.
On motion of Mr. [Robert R.] Livingston, seconded by Mr. [James] Lovell,
Resolved, That a committee of three be appointed to confer with the Board of War about the best method of conveying the troops of the Virginia line to join the southern army, by land or by means of any inland navigation, and take order thereon;
The members chosen, Mr. [Thomas] Burke, Mr. [Cyrus] Griffin, and Mr. [John] Mathews.1
[Note 1: 1 "The Committee of Congress, appointed for the purpose, having met the board this morning, after a full consideration of the subject, the following route was agreed on for the march of the Virginia troops to South Carolina, viz: Those troops to embark at Trenton with their baggage, and proceed to Christeen, and cross to the Head of Elk; there to embark again and proceed down the bay to Williamsburg, where they might remain in barracks: The waggons being empty to proceed by land to Petersburg, to which place the troops should proceed from Williamsburg in time to meet them: The Artillery and ammunition to go with the troops, the ammunition waggons by land with the others.
"It has been further agreed, that on account of the great length of the march it will be useless to send any of the Virginia troops whose service will expire by the middle of Hatch next, and to request your Excellency to retain all such at camp." Board of War to Washington, December 10, 1779. Letters to Washington, 94, folio 107.]
Resolved, That a member be elected for the committee appointed to correspond with the commanding officer in the southern department, in the room of Mr. [Henry] Marchant:
The member chosen, Mr. [Thomas] Burke.
The election of Mr. [Francis] Lewis, and his acceptance of the office of a commissioner of the Board of Admiralty, having vacated Mr. [William] Floyd's seat at that Board, both of them being from the same state:
On motion of Mr. [William] Floyd,
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Resolved, That a member be elected for the Board of Admiralty in the room of Mr. [William] Floyd:
The member chosen, Mr. [William] Ellery.
Resolved, That two members be added to the committee on General Arnold's accounts, in the room of Mr. [Henry] Laurens and Mr. [James] Mercer.
The members chosen Mr. [William] Floyd and Mr. [Thomas] Burke.
Resolved, That all matters heretofore referred to the marine committee be transmitted to the Board of Admiralty.
Adjourned to 10 oClock on Friday.
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