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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 --MONDAY, MARCH 19, 1781
A letter, of 11th, from General Washington, was read.2
[Note 2: 2 This letter is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 152, X, folio 17.]
A letter, of 5, From J. Lawrence; and
A letter, of 28 February, and memorial, from John Lloyd, jun, were read:
Ordered, That they be referred to the Board of Treasury.
A letter, of this day, from Brigadier W. Thompson, was read:3
[Note 3: 3 Lloyd's letter is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 78, XIV, folio 409; Thompson's is in No. 78, XXII, folio 457.]
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of War.
A letter, of this day, from Beaumont Groube, was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of Admiralty.
A letter, of this day, from Brigadier A. Wayne, was read; Whereupon,4
[Note 4: 4 This letter is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 161, folio 229.]
Resolved, That it be and hereby is recommended to the supreme executive council of the State of Pensylvania, to forward the march of their line in detachments, with all possible expedition, to join the southern army.
The report of the Medical Committee on the memorial of Dr. John Bartlett, late physician and surgeon general of the army in the northern department, was taken into consideration; and it appearing,
The medical committee to whom was referred the memorial of Dr. John Bartlett late Physicn and Surgn. Gen1 of the army in the northern department, beg leave to lay before Congress the following State of Facts respecting the memorialist
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That on the 11th of April 1777 he was appointed Physicn and Surgn Genl to the army in the northern department, to which he repaired some time in July following and with which he continued until the 23d of October following when he was permitted by Genl. Gates to return home on account of his inability to perform the duties of the office by reason of the infirmities of age and more especially on account of an accidental injury received in his arm, That it appears to your committee that at the time Dr Bartlett left the army it was generally understood that he had no design of returning to that post, he having before he received the hurt in his arm declared repeatedly to the other officers of that department that he was too old and infirm to perform the duties belonging to that office and at his particular request exchanged with Dr Thomas Tillotson an Hospital Surgeon, That before he went home he obtained a certificate from Dr Potts and Dr Treat recommending him for an appointment to any hospital that might be established near his own home. That this notwithstanding, he repaired to the army at the White Plains some time in the year 1778, but was not considered or treated as Physicn and Surgeon General nor did he do any of the duties of that office, Dr Tillotson having been appointed by Genl Gates in his room and being then with the army and doing the duties of that office.
That on the first of July 1779 Dr Shippen the late Director General at the particular request of Dr Bartlett's friends directed him to repair to Fish Kill and superintend the Hospital at that place, where he accordingly came and the officers of that Hospital refusing to do duty under him he requested and obtained permission from Dr Shippen on the 28th September 1779 to return home,
That he received pay for the time he was with the northern army in 1777 and six months pay besides after he went home and also that he received three months pay for the time he was at Fish Kill in 1779. Since which time your Committee cannot find that Dr. Bartlett hath either done duty or received pay. Upon which State of facts your Committee beg leave to report,
That Dr. John Bartlett, at his own request, and with the consent of the commanding officer of the department, and the deputy director and other officers thereunto belonging, left the service to which he was appointed, in a manner which clearly indicated his intention of relinquishing his office; and
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having received pay for all the time he spent with the army, and six months while he was at home, cannot be entitled to any farther pay or allowance.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of William Burnet, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 19, I, folio 229.]
A letter, of 8th, from E. Blaine, was read:2
[Note 2: 2 This letter is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 78, IV, folio 129.]
Ordered, That it be referred to a committee of three:
The members, Mr. [James] Duane, Mr. [Joseph] Montgomery, and Mr. [Oliver] Wolcott.
The report of the committee to whom was referred the report of the Board of War was taken into consideration, and, after debate, the same being postponed, the report of the Board of War was again read and considered; and Thereupon,
The Committee to whom was referred the letters and papers of Colonel D'Arendt, and Capt. Bentalon, beg leave to report,
That Capt. Bentalon was the senior Captain in the late Count Pulaski's Legion.
That he was wounded in his left hand, in the attack on Savannah, and obtained leave of General Lincoln to go to France to effect a cure of it.
That on his passage to America, he was taken by the enemy, and is now a prisoner to them on Parole, and in great distress, That by a certificate from the pay office, it appears that Count Pulaski's legion was paid only to the 1st of December 1779, so that there is due to him fifteen months pay and rations to the 1st of this instant March.
That it appears from a report from the war office, that Capt. Bentalon is not arranged in Colonel Armand's corps; altho' the officers of Count Pulaski's legion were by resolve of Congress to be incorporated in that Corps, and he appears to be a deserving officer and of a proper age for cavalry service. Upon these facts your committee beg leave to submit the following resolutions--
Resolved, That the Paymaster General be and he is hereby directed, to pay Capt: Paul Bentalon seven months pay and rations of the new emission on account.
Resolved, That as Capt. Bentalon appears to be a deserving officer, it is the wish of Congress that he be provided for in Colo Armand's
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corps; if it will not materially derange its establishment as already made by the Commander in Chief.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of Alexander McDougall, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 19, I,folio 299. It was postponed, as the indorsement shows.]
Resolved, That Captain Bentalon be considered as retiring from service under the resolutions of the 3d and 21 of October, 1780, and entitled to the emoluments arising therefrom;
That the Board of War draw a warrant, in favour of Captain Bentalon, on the paymaster general, for three months' pay on account.
The report of the committee on the letter from E. Forman was taken up; and Thereupon,
Ordered, That a warrant issue on Thomas Smith, commissioner of the continental loan office in the State of Pensylvania, in favour of Ezekiel Forman, forone hundred and twenty fifty thousand dollars on account.2
[Note 2: 2 This report, in the writing of John Sullivan, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 19, II, folio 307.]
The report of the committee, to whom were referred the report of the Board of Treasury, and the memorial of John Patton and others, iron masters, was taken up; and it being therein recommended,
The Committee to whom were referred the report of the Board of Treasury and the memorial of John Patton and others Iron Masters report,
That, having considered the special nature of the contract made by the Board of War for shot and shells, they are of opinion, payment ought immediately to be made; and as it does not appear that this can be done, except by drawing bills of Exchange on the Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States at the Court of Versailles, the Committee have come to the following resolution,
That bills of exchange be drawn, under the direction of the Board of Treasury, on the minister plenipotentiary of the United States, at the Court of Versailles, at six months' sight, for fifty-five thousand three hundred and thirty-three
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dollars and one-third of a dollar, at four shillings and six pence the dollar, to be paid to the Board of War, to enable them to fulfil their contract for shot and shells.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of Meriwether Smith, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 26, folio 253.]
On the question to agree to this, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Thomas] Burke,
{table}
A report from the Board of War, of 13, with an estimate of materials wanted in the department of commissary of military stores: and
A report, of the 15, from the said Board on the western department: also
A report, of the 16, respecting the pay of captain lieutenants of artillery, were read.
War OfficeMarch 15 1781
Sir,
The Board have been honored with a reference from Congress, of a letter from Col. Brodhead of the 18th Feby last, on the subject of the Indian Affairs in the Western Department and from the general Direction that we are "to report a state of theWestern Department"
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it should seem that Congress meant we should also comprehend the Military Affairs of that Department. We have the honor to enclose the last return we have had of the state and numbers of the troops whereby the military strength will appear. The supplies of all kinds are extremely deficient and especially in the article of provisions, the garrison of Fort Pitt and its dependencies having been subsisted for twelve months past in the most scanty and precarious manner, and the distress is now so great that we should not be surprised to hear of the Posts being abandoned and the frontiers of this and those of the neighboring States protected by the western troops, consequentially exposed to the ravages of the Enemy. At the instance of the Board a supply of Money was put into the hands of Col. Blaine, a considerable time ago, to enable him to have purchased about one hundred head of Cattle; but from our latest accounts few or none have been purchased and we wait for Col. Blaine's arrival in Philadelphia to promote a proper Enquiry into the causes of this failure. Col. Brodhead appears to have taken every measure to gain supplies and among other expedients he was reduced to the necessity of sending a party into the Indian country to kill Buffaloes for the garrison; what success this scheme has been attended with we are not informed and it tends more to evidence their distress than to hold out hopes of any material supply for the Troops. We wish this description of wants could only be applied to the provision department as every other is nearly in the same situation. These causes if the strength of the Army would otherwise have admitted of it, have prevented the Commanding Officer from carrying on any offensive operations, save the sending out small parties as scouts, which he has done from time to time with various success. The Garrisons now consist of parts of two Regimentsone of the Pennsilvania and the other of the Virginia line, a small detachment of Artillery and some independent companies. Fort Pitt as we understand is in a very ruinous and defenceless situation and Fort Mcintosh about twenty five miles distant, tho' a well constructed Fort, could not for want of supplies resist a serious attack. The detail of the Military Affairs of this Department and a State of other business therein will best appear from Col. Brodhead's letters and those of this Board, which have been from time to time laid before Congress. Before we quit this part of the subject we beg leave to mention that it seems to us best that either the Virginia or Pennsilvania Detachments of the Regiments of those
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State lines should be ordered to join the Army and an entire Regiment stationed at Fort Pitt, as disjointed corps are not only prejudicial to Discipline but are otherwise inconvenient.
The Enemy Indians to the Westward consisting of tribes of different nations, were at first not more than three hundred, the Delaware and Shawanose Nations being much divided. But these hostile savages have now a considerable accession of strength from the junction of the Northern Tribes, and unless some measures are fallen upon to support the friends of the United States among these savages and to supply those who are inclined to be neuter the nature of Indians and their necessities will compell the whole of them to join the British Interest.
It is certainly expedient that there should be some person invested with authority to act as an agent for Indian Affairs and that means should be put in Iris hands to support the friendly savages, to divide those who are hostile and if any of them will wage war with the rest it would be politic to enable them to do it. As there is no very extensive Business in this way to transact it seems to Us proper that the Commanding Officer should be invested with the powers of an agent; but the present state of the finances appears to forbid any measures being taken for supplies to the Indians to any great amount, and until we are in a condition better to support them it should seem that it will not be prudent to give largo promises, a failure in which will only tend to exasperate instead of conciliating their affections.
The Delaware Council at Cohocking have always appeared friendly to our Interests. Their number of fighting men amounts probably to one hundred. Many of them were at Philadelphia in 1778 and received presents from Congress. Several of their children are now educating at Princeton Colledge at the expence of the United States. On the 4th of January last Congress agreed to a visit from some of these Indians as proposed by Col. Brodhead. This visit will be very expensive and probably dangerous to the Indians, as the country through which they pass has much enmity against all Indians and cannot be persuaded to make distinctions. We were obliged for these reasons to send a strong escort with the Indians who came on a former visit to Congress both on their coming and returning. We therefore submit to Congress whether it would not be best to send some presents to Fort Pitt and supercede thereby the necessity of their coming to Philadelphia. As to building a Fort at Cohocking
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and sending thereto three hundred men we conceive it impracticable, for by the former part of this letter it will appear that we are not in a condition to support even the Garrisons we already have in that Country. Upon the foregoing State of the Affairs of the Western Department we submit the following resolutions--
That the Executive of the State of Pennsylvania, be earnestly requested to lay up at Fort Pitt in part of their Quota of provisions an immediate supply of provisions for six months for a complete regiment, consisting of six hundred and twelve rank and file properly officered.
That the Commanding Officer in the Western district be directed so far as he has the means in his power to put the Fortifications at Pittsburg in good order.
That the said Commanding Officer for the time being act as Agent for Indian Affairs in that District and that the Board of War give him the necessary instructions on this subject.
That the sum ofDollars in Bills of Exchange be delivered to the Paymaster of the Board of War to enable the said Board to purchase a quantity of Indian goods to be sent to the Commanding Officer of the Western Army to be distributed agreeable to the instruction of the said Board among such of the faithful savages of the Western Nations as shall be deemed proper objects of the Bounty of the United States.
That the expediency of the Cooshocking Indians making a visit to Congress agreeable to the Resolution of the 4th of January last be referred to the Board of War to take order, that resolution notwithstanding--
That the Commander in Chief take order respecting the Troops of which the Western Army is or shall be composed so that entire corps be drawn together as much as circumstances will permit.
That Col. Brodhead be informed that it is inexpedient to comply with the request of the Delaware Indians as contained in the letter of Wm Penn and the Councillors of Cooshocking dated the 13th of January last.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, VI, folio 303. It was read on this day, as the indorsement indicates. It is further indorsed: "August 23d, 1781, not to be acted upon."]
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.
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