CHAPTER IX.

Special Acts of Congress allowing claims for the commutation of the half pay for life-page 93.

CHAPTER X.

A compend and synopsis of the legislation of Congress on Revolutionary Claims; showing the cases in which interest has been allowed, and in which it has not been allowed-page 108.

CHAPTER XI.

Reports of Committees of Congress, of the Secretaries of Treasury and War Departments, and of the Attorney General, relating to claims for pay, arrears of pay, commutation of the half pay for life, seven years' pay to widows and orphans of revolutionary Officers, loan office and final settlement certificates, indents of interest, limitation laws, &c.-page 119.

RESOLUTIONS, LAWS, AND ORDINANCES

RELATING TO

PROMISES MADE BY CONGRESS TO OFFICERS AND SOLDIERS OF THE REVOLUTION; TO SETTLEMENT OF ACCOUNTS BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND THE SEVERAL STATES; AND TO FUNDING THE REVOLUTIONARY DEBT.

CHAPTER I.

Resolutions and Acts of the old and new Governments, relating to the pay, depreciation of pay, half pay, and commutation in lieu of half pay, promised to the Officers and Soldiers of the Revolution.

[1775, June 16.]

Resolved, That two major generals be appointed for the American army;

That the pay of each of the major generals be one hundred and sixtysix dollars per month;

That when any of these act in a separate department, he be allowed, for his pay and expenses, three hundred and thirty-two dollars per month; That there be eight brigadier generals;

That the pay of each of the brigadier generals be one hundred and twenty-five dollars per month;

That there be one adjutant general;

That his pay be one hundred and twenty-five dollars per month;
That there be one commissary general of stores and provisions;

That his pay be eighty dollars per month;

That there be one quartermaster general for the grand army, and one deputy under him for the separate army;

That the pay of the quartermaster general be eighty dollars per month, and that of the deputy forty dollars per month;

That there be one paymaster general, and a deputy under him, for the army, in a separate department; that the pay, for the paymaster general himself, be one hundred dollars per month; and for the deputy paymaster, under him, fifty dollars per month;

That there be one chief engineer at the grand army, and that his pay be sixty dollars per month;

That two assistants be employed under him, and that the pay of each of them be twenty dollars per month;

That there be one chief engineer for the army, in a separate department, and two assistants under him; that the pay of the chief engineer be sixty dollars per month, and the pay of the assistants each twenty dollars per month;

That there be three aids-de-camp, and that their pay be thirty-three dollars per month each;

That there be a secretary to the general, and that his pay be sixty dollars per month;

That there be a secretary to the major general, acting in a separate department, and that his pay be thirty-three dollars per month;

That there be a commissary of musters, and that his pay be forty dollars per month.

[1775, July 29.]

Resolved, That the pay of the commissary general of musters be forty dollars per month;

Deputy commissary general of stores and provisions, sixty dollars per month;

Deputy adjutant general, fifty dollars per month;

Deputy muster-master general, forty dollars per month;

Brigade major, thirty-three dollars per month;

Commissary of artillery, thirty dollars per month;

Judge advocate, twenty dollars per month;

Colonel, fifty dollars per month;

Lieutenant colonel, forty dollars per month;

Major, thirty-three dollars and one-third per month;
Captain, twenty dollars per month;

Lieutenant, thirteen dollars and one-third per month;

Ensign, ten dollars per month;

Sergeant, eight dollars per month;

Corporal, drummer, and fifer, each seven dollars and one-third per

month;

Private, six dollars and two-thirds per month;

Adjutant, eighteen dollars and one-third per month;

Quartermaster, eighteen dollars and one-third per month;

Chaplain, twenty dollars per month;

That in the artillery, the pay of a captain be twenty-six dollars and two-thirds per month;

Captain lieutenant, twenty dollars per month;

Lieutenants, first and second, eighteen dollars and one-third per month; Lieutenant fire-worker, thirteen dollars and one-third per month; Sergeant, eight dollars and one-third per month;

Corporal, seven dollars and a half per month;

Bombardier, seven dollars per month;

Matross, six dollars and five-sixths of a dollar per month;

That the appointment of provost-marshal, wagon-master, and mastercarpenter, be left to the commander-in-chief of the army, who is to fix their pay; having regard to the pay they receive in the ministerial army, and the proportion that the pay of the officers in said army bears to the pay of our officers.

[1776, July 5.]

Resolved, That a chaplain be appointed to each regiment in the continental army, and that their allowance be increased to thirty-three dollars and one-third of a dollar per month.

[1778, April 18.]

Resolved, That the pay of a brigadier of cavalry be one hundred and fifty-six dollars and a quarter per month.

NOTE.-Under subsequent organizations of the army, the pay of the officers of the general staff was, at various periods, increased or modified. Such changes, however, had no bearing on the ultimate promises of Congress, involving commutation pay and bounty lands, at the conclusion of the war; such pay and bounty being explicitly limited and regulated by the lineal rank of the officers to whom it was granted.

Half pay for seven years to officers, and a gratuity of $80 to the noncommissioned officers and soldiers.

[1778, May 15.]

Resolved, unanimously, That all military officers commissioned by Congress, who now are, or hereafter may be, in the service of these United States, and shall continue therein during the war, and not hold any office of profit under these States, or any of them, shall, after the conclusion of the war, be entitled to receive annually, for the term of seven years, if they live so long, one-half of the present pay of such officers: Provided, That no general officer of the cavalry, artillery, or infantry shall be entitled to receive more than the one-half part of the pay of a colonel of such corps respectively: And provided, That this resolution shall not extend to any officer in the service of the United States, unless he shall have taken an oath of allegiance to, and shall actually reside within, some one of the United States.

Resolved, unanimously, That every non-commissioned military officer and soldier who hath enlisted, or shall enlist, into the service of these States for and during the war, and shall continue therein to the end thereof, shall be entitled to receive the further reward of eighty dollars at the expiration of the war.

[1778, May 27.]

Monthly pay of the officers and soldiers of the continental lines, as established by the resolutions of Congress, fixing the arrangement of the American army on the 27th of May, 1778, which rate of pay (as it regarded rank in the line of the army) continued to the end of the war, and formed the basis of the settlements with the officers for their commutation of five years' full pay.