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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 --THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1780
A letter, of 26th June, from the honorable J. Adams was read, with sundry papers enclosed:2
[Note 2: 2 This letter is printed in the Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution (Wharton), III, 818.]
Ordered, That they be referred to a committee of three:
The members, Mr. [James] Lovell, Mr. [William Churchill] Houston, Mr. [Isaac] Motte.
A copy of a letter, of March 16, from the honorable Doctor Franklin; and3
[Note 3: 3 This letter is printed in the Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution (Wharton), III, 553.]
A memorial of Captain Hutchins, was read.
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A letter, of 26, from General Washington was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to a committee of three:
The members, Mr. [Ezekiel] Cornell, Mr. [John] Sullivan, Mr. [Artemas] Ward.
A letter, of this day, from W. Palfrey was read:1
[Note 1: 1 Washington's letter is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 152, IX, folio 377; that of Palfrey is in No. 165, folio 549.]
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of Treasury to take order.
A report from the Board of Treasury was read; Whereupon,
Ordered, That a warrant issue on Thomas Smith,2 commissioner of the continental loan office for the State of Pensylvania, for four hundred and eighty four thousand two hundred and eighty nine dollars and 56/90, in favor of Ephraim Blaine, commissary general of purchases, for the use of his department; and for which he is to be accountable.3
[Note 2: 2 From this point the entries are by George Bond.]
[Note 3: 3 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, IV, folio 733.]
The committee, to whom was referred a letter from the Board of War, of November 27th, delivered in a report; Whereupon,
Resolved, That in consideration of the great distress under which the officers who are prisoners at Charlestown labour, a sum in specie should be furnished to the board of war, that it may be transmitted for the supply of said officers, by the flag which is now ready to proceed to South Carolina; and as a difficulty has appeared in obtaining specie by the sale of bills that
The sum of four thousand dollars, in specie, now in the hands of the treasurer, be applied to the use of the officers who are prisoners at Charlestown, and transmitted for the supply of the said officers by the flag which is now ready to proceed to South Carolina; and that bills on our ministers in Europe, to the amount of the said sum, be by the Board of
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War returned and deposited in the hands of the treasurer for payment of the same commissioner of the continental loan office for the State of Pennsylvania.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of Richard Howly, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 27, folio 113.]
Ordered, That the Board of Treasury immediately make sale of part of the aforesaid bills, so deposited by the Board of War, to the amount of one hundred thousand dollars, to be put into the hands of the Board of War, to forward the waggons with stores for the use of the southern army, and for payment of the artificers ordered to the southward.
A report from the Board of War was read; Whereupon,
Resolved, That there be a commissary general of purchases; whose duty shah be to purchase provisions under the directions of Congress, the Commander in Chief or Board of War: to call upon the principal state agents or commissioners for such supplies as their respective legislatures shall make provision for, and to keep up a regular correspondence with them, to the end that their prospects of furnishing such supplies may be fully known; of which correspondence he shall keep a fair and correct register, as well as of every other official transaction: to direct the quantities and species of provisions to be stored in the magazines of the several states, under the orders of the Commander in Chief, and cause the same to be forwarded to the army, as occasion shall require; for which purpose he is hereby empowered to call on the quartermaster general, and the deputy quartermasters for the means of transportation: to make monthly returns to the Commander in Chief and Board of War of all persons employed by him, specifying for what time and on what terms; and of all provisions received in each month, from whom, from what State, and the quantities delivered to the issuing commissaries; their names, and at what posts; also of all provisions remaining on hand, at what magazines and in whose care; the returns to
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be made up to the last day of each month, and forwarded as soon after as may be: to cause all his accounts with the United States to be closed annually, on the 1st day of January, and laid before the Board of Treasury for settlement, by the 1st day of March ensuing:
That there be a deputy commissary of purchases for the southern army, appointed by the commissary general, whose duty shall be the same with respect to that army, as that of the commissary general with the main army: he shall make his returns to the commanding officer of the southern army, and to the commissary general, to whom he shall be responsible:
The commissary general and the deputy commissary shall each appoint one assistant commissary, one superintendant of live stock, two clerks, and as many butchers, coopers, drovers and labourers, as may be necessary for conducting the business of the department, and shall have power to fix the pay of the butchers, coopers, drovers and labourers subject to the controul of the Board of War:
That the pay of the several officers in the department be in the bills emitted in pursuance of the resolution of the 18th of March last as follows:
The commissary-general 177 dollars per month, 3 rations for himself and servants, and forage for 2 horses; deputy commissary 125 dollars per month, 2 rations for himself and servant, and forage for 2 horses:
Assistant commissaries 75 dollars per month, 2 rations and forage for 1 horse.
Superintendants of live stock 50 dollars per month, i ration and forage for i horse.
Clerks 40 dollars per month and 1 ration.
Resolved, That no officer appointed under the foregoing regulations be entitled to draw pay unless he produce a certificate of his having taken the oaths prescribed by the resolution of the 3d of February, 1778:
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Resolved, That Ephraim Blaine, esq. be continued commissary general of purchases:
That it be recommended to the several states immediately to inform the commissary general and deputy commissary of the names of their principal agent or commissioner, respectively, for supplying the army, and to oblige them to give information, from time to time, to the commissary general, or the deputy commissary with the southern army, as the case may be, of their prospects, and how far they shall be able to comply with their requisitions:
That the live stock to be furnished by the several states be delivered to such store keepers, within each state, at such times and in such quantities, as the commissary general or the deputy commissary, shall direct, under the regulations contained in the act of Congress of the 15th of July last, for the delivery of all other public property:
That the store keepers appointed by the deputy quarter masters be subject to the orders of the commissary general, to whom they are to make monthly returns of all their receipts and deliveries, as far as respects his department, and in such manner as he shall direct:
That all the resolutions of Congress heretofore made, respecting the department of the commissary general of purchases, be and they are hereby repealed.
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.1
[Note 1: 1 Here Charles Thomson resumes the entries.]
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