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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, MARCH 22, 1782
The committee, consisting of Mr. [Thomas] Bee, Mr. [Samuel John] Atlee, Mr. [Ezekiel] Cornell, to whom were referred a letter of the 21st of February, from Brigadier General Moultrie, and a motion respecting Brigadier General Knox, report,
That they have considered the same, and are of opinion that the request of General Moultrie is reasonable and ought to be granted, and they are the more confirmed of its propriety, when they consider the contents of President Hancock's letter of the 22 July, 1776, and President Jay's letter of the 15 May, 1779, and the Act of Congress of the 13 of the same month, therefore they beg leave to submit the following resolution:
That Brigadier General Moultrie be, and hereby is promoted to the rank of a major general in the army of the United States, to take rank as such from the 14 day of November, 1781.
The committee are also of opinion, that the motion respecting the promotion of Brigadier General Knox, is founded on just principles, and report the same as their opinion, namely,1
[Note 1: 1 The report up to this point is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 19, IV, folio 467. It is in the writing of Ezekiel Cornell. General Moultrie's letter is in No. 158, folio 529.]
Brigadier General Knox, commanding officer of the artillery, being recommended by the Commander in Chief by his letter of the 31st day of October last, to be appointed a major general in the army of the United States, on account of his special merit and particularly for his good conduct at the siege of Yorktown, in the State of Virginia:
Resolved, That Brigadier General Knox be, and he is hereby promoted to the rank of major general in the line of the army, and that he take rank from the 15th day of November last.
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A motion was made by Mr. [John Morin] Scott, seconded by Mr. [Isaac] Motte, that the consideration of the report be postponed, in order to make way for the following resolution:
"That Brigadiers General James Clinton, William Moultrie, Lauchlin McIntosh, and Henry Knox, be promoted to the rank of majors general."
On the question for postponing, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [John Morin] Scott,
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So it passed in the negative.
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On the question to agree to the resolution for the promotion of Brigadier General Knox Moultrie, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [John Morin] Scott,
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So the question was lost.
On the question to agree to the resolution for the promotion of Brigadier General Knox, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [John Morin] Scott,
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So it was resolved in the affirmative.
The committee, consisting of Mr. [Daniel] Carroll, Mr. [Ezekiel] Cornell, Mr. [Abraham] Clark, Mr. [Edmund] Randolph, and Mr. [Nicholas] Eveleigh, to whom was referred a letter of 30 October, 1781, respecting the promotion of Colonel Otho Williams, report,
That Colonel Williams stood in the line of promotion to be a brigadier in the district of Delaware and Maryland, under the late regulation of the army; that it appears from the returns of the Maryland line, the troops of that State are divided into two brigades: that the testimonies in favor of Colonel Otho Williams's merit are such as deserve the particular notice of Congress, and therefore submit the following resolution:
That Colonel Otho Williams be appointed a brigadier in the army of the United States.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of Daniel Carroll, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 19, VI, folio 561.]
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On the question to agree to this resolution, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [John Morin] Scott,
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So the question was lost.
A motion was made by Mr. [Edward] Telfair, seconded by Mr. [John Morin] Scott,
That Brigadiers James Clinton, William Moultrie, and Lachlan McIntosh, be promoted to the rank of majors-general, and that they take rank from the 14 day of November, 1781.
On the question to agree to this, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [John Morin] Scott,
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So the question was lost.1
[Note 1: 1 On some date approximating this was read a letter of January 18 from the Marquis de la Fayette. It is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 156, folio 260.]
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