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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 --FRIDAY, JUNE 29, 1781
A letter, of 27, from R. Morris, superintendant of finance, was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to the committee appointed yesterday to confer with him.
A report of the committee of the week was read; Whereupon,
Ordered, That a petition of Augustine Loseau, captain in Colonel Livingston's regiment, be referred to the Board of War;
That a petition of Duncan Campbell, second lieutenant in Colonel Livingston's regiment, be also referred to the Board of War.3
[Note 3: 3 This report, in the writing of Meriwether Smith, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 32, folio 183; Loseaux's petition, dated June 20, 1781, is in No. 42, IV, folio 284; Campbell's petition, dated June 20, 1781, is in No. 42, II, folio 108.]
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The committee to whom was referred the motion of Mr. [Theodorick] Bland; and
The Committee to whom was referred the motion of M(r) Bland beg leave to report it as their opinion that it would be very advantageous to the United States that their Marine force should be actively employed, and that every possible attention should be paid to that Department, and that it would greatly add to the experience of their officers and seamen to act in conjunction with the fleet of our August Ally, and thereupon submit the following Resolutions:
Resolved, That the Board of Admiralty immediately lay before the Superintendent of Finance, the exact state of the vessels of war as well unfinished as finished belonging to the American Navy--together with an estimate of the expences necessary to finish and equip them for sea.
Resolved, That the said Superintendant of Finance report to Congress the ways and means for fitting the said vessels for sea.
Resolved, That as soon as any of the said vessels of war as soon as they are equipt for sea, be ordered to join the fleet of our Ally now under the command of Mons. De Barras and put themselves under his order until the further order of Congress.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of Theodorick Bland, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 28, folio 319. It is indorsed: "August 24, 1781, not to be acted upon."]
The committee to whom were referred the application of Captain J. P. Jones, and the applications of Captain James Nicholson and Captain Thomas Read, delivered in their reports.
The Committee to whom were referred the application of Capt. John Paul Jones, and also the applications of Capt. James Nicholson and Captain Thomas Read, beg leave to report, that by an arrangement of the Captains of the Navy which was adopted by Congress on the tenth day of October A. D. 1776 Capt. James Nicholson was placed first in Rank, Capt. Thomas Read eighth and Captain John Paul Jones the eighteenth. It also appears that Capt. Abraham Whipple's commission under the appointment of Congress was dated Dec. 22d A. D. 1775. Captain Read's commission was dated The Committee cannot fully ascertain the rule by which that arrangement was made, as the relative rank was not conformable to times
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of appointment or dates of commission and seems repugnant to a resolution of Congress of 22nd. of December A. D. 1775. It appears that Captains Whipple Barry, Weeks Halleck and Alexander were appointed Captains previous to either of the applicants, and Capt. Nicholson was the last later than either excepting Read. But Captain Nicholson had a prior command of armed vessels under authority of the State of Maryland prior to his being adopted in the Continental Navy. It is therefore to be presumed that preference was given to him on that account. Upon the whole the Committee submit to Congress whether it will be advisable to alter that arrangement? If they should Captain Jones will now stand fifth Captain, if respect be had only to times of appointment in that grade; but if regard is to be had to Captain Jones being a Lieutenant in the Navy prior to the appointment of many of the other gentlemen, he would then stand second in the rank of Captain and Whipple first.
The Committee also submit recommend to Congress the expediency of appointing a Commander in Chief of the Navy in the place of the late Admiral Eseck Hopkins Esq. Dismissed.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of James Mitchell Varnum, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 19, III, folio 299. It is indorsed by Thomson: "August 24, 1781, not to be acted on."]
A report from the Board of War was read; Whereupon,
War Office June 28th. 1781
Sir.
The Board have considered the Memorial of Colonel Moses Hazen and the motion referred to them beg leave to state the following facts for the determination of Congress. That Colonel Hazen at a very early period demonstrated his attachment to the cause of America and has greatly suffered both in his person and property on that account, in his person by being confined in prison for upwards of two months and in his property by having advanced large sums of money to the Continent which are yet unpaid and by having left a valuable estate in Canada in possession of the Enemy.
That Colonel Hazen on the 22nd. of January 1776 was appointed to the command of four Battalions to be raised in Canada and in consequence thereof raised four hundred and seventy seven men which on the opening of the Campaign of 1777, were augmented by farther enlistments to the number of seven hundred and twenty non commissioned officers and privates included; they are in the course of
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several active Campaigns now reduced to the number of four hundred and twenty non commissioned officers and privates including Colo. Livingston's Regiment and the Independent Corps formerly commanded by Major Ottendorf which have been annexed.
That on the 20th. of April in the present Year Congress were pleased to resolve that Colonel Hazen's Regiment should be recruited to its original establishment as soon as the finances of the United States admit of the same being done.
That Colonels younger than Colonel Hazen have been promoted to the rank of General Officers, in particular the Colonels De Haas, Woodford, Mercer, Stevens, Hand, Scott, Weedon, Gist and Morgan, and several others from the States of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. That Colonel Hazen is a very deserving officer and in the course of the present War has always conducted himself with spirit, activity and attention.
That there are now two Colonels in the Army of the United States whose Commissions are of an older date than Colonel Hazen's to wit Colonel Van Schaick of New York and Colonel Groton of Massachusetts.
That in the resolution for settling the mode of promotion in the Army bearing date the 25th of May in the present Year, Colonel Hazen's Regiment is arranged with the states of New York and New Jersey; of the State of New York there are at present George and James Clinton Brigadiers. There is also in the troops of New York Colonel Van Schaick whose commission is of an older date than Colonel Hazen's.
Upon the whole if Congress should be of opinion that Colonel Hazen should be promoted to the rank he solicits they will be pleased to resolve.
Resolved, That Colonel Moses Hazen be and he hereby is appointed a Brigadier in the Army of the United States by Brevet the resolved of the 25th of May notwithstanding.
Or if otherwise they will resolve
That Congress are fully sensible of the merit of Colonel Hazen and regret that the particular circumstances of the Army will not at present admit of a compliance with his request.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, V, folio 441; a transcript "copy from the reports of the War Office," is in No. 42, III, folio 524.]
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A report from the Board of War was read; Whereupon,
Ordered, That a warrant issue on the supreme executive council of the State of Pensylvania in favour of the paymaster general, for four thousand dollars, to enable him to discharge the warrant drawn upon him for three months' pay to the invalid regiment, for which sum the paymaster general is to be accountable.
A motion being made by Mr. [James] Madison, seconded by Mr. M[eriwether] Smith, in the words following:
Additional instruction to the minister plenipotentiary for negotiating a treaty of commerce with Great Britain.
Resolved, That the minister plenipotentiary for negotiating a treaty of commerce with Great Britain be instructed to enter into no such treaty, unless, in addition to the stipulations relative to the fisheries required by Congress in their instructions to the said minister of the 13th August, 1779, all the objects included in their ultimatum relative to a treaty of peace, as the same stood prior to their instructions on that subject of the 15th day of June, instant, be in such treaty of commerce explicitly acknowledged and stipulated to the United States.1
[Note 1: 1 This motion, in the writing of James Madison, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 36, IV, folio 359.]
On the question to agree to this, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. M[eriwether] Smith:
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So it passed in the negative.1
[Note 1: 1 This motion and vote were entered only in the manuscript Secret Journal, Foreign Affairs, and in the More Secret Journal.
A letter of this day from the Board of War enclosing a letter of Brigadier General Duportail was read. It is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, V, folio 445.]
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock on Monday.
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