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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 --WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1782
On the report of a committee, consisting of Mr. [Samuel] Osgood, Mr. [Ralph] Izard, Mr. [Theodorick] Bland, and Mr. [James] Duane, appointed to consider and report the most just and practicable means of reducing the expenditures of the United States:
Resolved, That the establishment of the quartermaster's department, by the resolutions of Congress of the 15 July, 1780, be, from and after the first day of January next, repealed, and the following regulations then adopted in its stead:
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Resolved, That there be one quartermaster general; the present quartermaster general to be continued in office, and hereafter, as vacancies arise, to be appointed by Congress:
That the quartermaster general, with the approbation of the Commander in Chief, appoint the following officers for the armies of the United States, viz.
For the main army. One deputy quartermaster; one waggonmaster; one commissary of forage; one director. and one sub-director, of a company of artificers:
For the southern army. One deputy quartermaster; one deputy commissary of forage; one deputy waggonmaster; one director, and one sub-director, of a company of artificers: and as many assistants as the service may require in the main and southern army, to perform the duties of quartermasters of brigades, storekeepers, clerks, and such other duties in the quartermaster's department as the service may require, and also as many waggon conductors:
That the pay per month of the officers in the quartermaster general's department, including their pay in the line of the army, shall be as follows:
Quartermaster general, 1662/3 dollars, deputy quartermaster with the southern army, 125 dollars, deputy quartermaster with the main army, 75 dollars, waggonmaster, 60 dollars, commissary of forage for the main army, 60 dollars, commissary of forage for the southern army, 60 dollars, deputy waggonmaster for the southern army, 50 dollars, assistants in the quartermaster's department, each, 30 dollars, waggon conductors, each, 20 dollars, directors of artificers, each, 40 dollars, sub-directors of ditto, each, 262/3 dollars.
That the following be the proportion of waggons and bat horses to the different ranks of officers, unless otherwise directed, in special cases, by the Commander in Chief or commanding officer of the southern army:
The Commander in Chief and commanding officer of the southern army, for their own accommodation and for their
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families, as many baggage waggons and bat homes as they may think necessary.
Major general and family, one covered four-horse waggon, and one two-horse waggon.
Brigadier general and family, one covered four-horse waggon.
Colonel, lieutenant colonel and major, one covered four-horse waggon.
Captains and subalterns of a regiment, for their baggage, one covered four-horse waggon.
Surgeon, paymaster, adjutant and quartermaster, regimental staff, one covered four-horse waggon.
Brigade quartermaster, one bat horse.
For the tents of a regiment, for every 75 men, but this to be varied, according to the weight of the tents and state of the roads, one open four-horse waggon.
Quartermaster general, for his baggage, according to his rank; for his books, papers, &c. as many as he shall find necessary.
Deputy quartermaster with the main army or with a separate army, for his baggage, and for his books papers, &c. one covered four-horse waggon.
Commissary of forage, with the main army, his clerks and assistants, one covered four-horse waggon.
Deputy commissary of forage, with a separate army, one two-horse waggon.
Waggonmaster and clerks, one covered four-horse waggon.
Deputy waggonmaster with southern army, his clerks and assistants, one two-horse waggon or two bat horses.
Inspector general, for his baggage, according to his rank; and for his papers as the Commander in Chief may direct.
Inspectors, one two-horse waggon.
Adjutant general, two covered four-horse waggons. For the baggage of his assistant, clerks, and official papers, one two-horse waggon.
Judge advocate, one two-horse waggon.
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Deputy judge advocate for southern army, one two-horse waggon.
Commissary of prisoners, one two-horse waggon.
Deputy commissary of prisoners, southern army, one two-horse waggon.
Provost marshal, with prisoners and guards, one open four-horse waggon.
Field commissary of military stores, and his deputy with the main and southern army, each, one bat horse.
Deputy paymaster with the main and southern army, each, one two-horse waggon.
Field postmaster, one bat home.
Provided, That if the number of waggons stated above, should prove insufficient, the quartermaster general may occasionally furnish such additional carriages as the commander in Chief, or commanding officer of a separate army, or the Secretary at War, may direct.
That a ration of forage per day shall consist of fourteen pounds of hay and ten quarts of oats for each horse:
That there be issued to the Commander in Chief, and to the commanding officer of a separate army, and to those of their suite, as many rations as the service may require.
That there shall be allowed for saddle homes:
[Note 1: 1 The entries in the Journal for the remainder of this day were by George Bond.]
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That any of the officers entitled to forage, who shall keep their horses at their own expence, shall be paid therefor by the quartermaster general, at the average price given by him for the forage of the army.
Resolved, That the quartermaster general, with the approbation of the Secretary at War, shall appoint so many assistants to reside in the several states as the public service may require.
That all officers in the quartermaster general's department, of whatever denomination, shall take the oaths of allegiance and the oath of office prescribed by Congress, before they enter on business.
That the quartermaster general make a return of the names and station of each person to be appointed in his department.
That in settling the accounts of officers in the said department, no pay or allowance whatever be granted to any person employed therein, whose name and employment, together with a certificate of his having taken the aforesaid oaths, shall not have been returned within two months after his acceptance of such office.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of a clerk, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 22, folio 166.
On this day, according to the indorsement, a letter of 22 from Ebenezer Hazard, Postmaster General, was read and referred to Mr. [James] Duane, Mr. [Elias] Boudinot and Mr. [Daniel] Carroll. It is in No. 61, folio 123.]
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