| PREVIOUS | NEXT | NEW SEARCH |
A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1875
Journals of the Continental Congress --FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 1780
Mr. James Henry, a delegate for Virginia, attended, and took his seat in Congress.
A report from the Board of War was read; Whereupon, Congress came to the following resolutions:
Whereas it appears to Congress that accidental preferences have been given, in some instances, to particular officers, owing as well to local circumstances as to the want of a certain ratio by which the subsistance of each respective claimant might be ascertained, agreeable to the length of time he had been in captivity; and whereas it farther appears to Congress, that twenty-six officers taken at Port Montgomery the 16 of October, 1777, fourteen taken between the 16 of October, 1777, and May, 1778, and seventeen taken the 22d of August, 1777, at Staten Island, have received the sum of £32, New York money, more than other officers who were captured about the same period of time; and moreover that those who were on parole upon Long Island, before the arrival of the Philadelphia prisoners at New York, have received an allowance of two dollars a week for their board, of which those confined in Philadelphia had not the benefit.
Resolved, Therefore, that as Congress mean to extend their care and attention without distinction, to all their officers
Page 382 | Page image
who have the misfortune to be captured by the enemy, that the sum of four thousand one hundred and ninety four pounds, New York money, in specie, equal to 10,485 dollars, be placed in the hands of the commissary general of prisoners, out of which he be directed to pay to each of the officers confined in Philadelphia, while the enemy had possession of the city, and now in captivity, the sum of thirty two pounds like money, equal to 80 dollars, and the farther sum of to the same persons respectively, to be computed at the rate of two dollars a week from the time of their being prisoners until their board was paid by the public.
That a farther sum of money, in specie, equal to one thousand four hundred and ninety three pounds, New York currency, equal to 3732½ dollars, be put in the hands of the commissary general of prisoners, for the purpose of levelling all the officers, agreeably to the different terms of their captivity, to the end that each individual may, according to his circumstances, participate of an equal share of the public provision.
And whereas it has been represented to Congress, that a farther sum of money is requisite for all the officers in captivity, as well those who have been lately captured as those who have been in that situation for any length of time, for the purposes of paying their board, purchasing cloathing and other necessaries; therefore,
Resolved, That the sum of twelve thousand four hundred and sixty three pounds like currency, in specie, equal to 31,157½ dollars, be advanced to the commissary general of prisoners, which he be directed to distribute among all the officers in captivity; and that the consideration of any farther allowance or comparative preference be postponed to some future period.
That a farther sum of two thousand five hundred pounds, like money, equal to 6250 dollars, be advanced to the commissary
Page 383 | Page image
general of prisoners, for the purposes of supplying the sick soldiers and sailors, in captivity, with necessaries, and for other contingent expences relating to the prisoners.
P. S. The Board beg leave to observe that there are still some few unhappy men in captivity who will not be provided for in the foregoing report. These are Citizens taken in different parts of the country--not in arms, and though the Board do not think they ought to be provided for out of the Continental Treasury, yet they conceive it would be highly expedient to recommend to the different States, of which they are subjects, to pay proper attention to their situation and sufferings.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, IV, folio 325.]
Ordered, That the Board of Treasury be directed to report with all convenient speed the ways and means of furnishing the foregoing sums.
Ordered, That the postscript of the report from the Board of War be re-committed, and that the Board be directed to report a proper mode of supporting the prisoners therein described by the commissary of prisoners.
Another report from the Board of War was read; Whereupon,
At a Board of War April 20 1780
Present Col Pickering Mr Peters Colo Grayson
Mr Pintard has reminded the board of an application, made by the Enemy's commsy of prisoners, to have an Agent to reside within some of the parts of the United States not in possession of the British army, to take the charge of providing for their prisoners in the same manner Mr Pintard is permitted to do in New York, with respect to the American prisoners. The Board conceive such an Agent should be permitted, and to have similar powers and treatment with Mr Pintard.
The application for this Agent should however, come from the Commander in Chief of the British forces, And we therefore beg leave to report.
Resolved, That General Washington be empowered, when properly applied to for that purpose, to authorize an agent or commissary of prisoners, appointed by the enemy, to
Page 384 | Page image
reside in these states with powers similar to those granted to Mr. Pintard in such of these states as he shall direct, and with powers similar to those granted to a like officer on behalf of the United States, and allowed by the enemy to be exercised within their lines1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, IV, folio 331.]
The committee, to whom was referred the draught of a letter to the states, brought in another draught, which being read and debated by paragraphs, and sundry amendments made:
Ordered, That the letter with the amendments be committed to a member to re-draught the same with the amendments.
The member chosen Mr. [William Churchill] Houston.
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock on Monday.2
[Note 2: 2 From this point the entries are by George Bond, of the Secretary's Office.]
PREVIOUS SECTION .. NEXT SECTION .. NAVIGATOR
| PREVIOUS | NEXT | NEW SEARCH |