Page images
PDF
EPUB

time, the president resumed the chair, and Mr. Harrison reported, that the committee have made farther progress in the matter to them referred; but, not having finished, desire leave to sit again:

Resolved, That this Congress will, to-morrow, again resolve itself into a committee of the whole, to take into their farther consideration, the articles of confederation.

A letter from general Washington, of the 23d, with sundry papers enclosed, among which was a letter from Mr. Fraesh to lord Sterling; also,

A letter from the council of safety of North-Carolina, being received and read,

Resolved, That the letter from Mr. Fraesh, to lord Sterling, be referred to the committee appointed to contract for casting cannon;

That the general's letter, with the other papers enclosed, be referred to the board of war.

Adjourned to nine o'clock to-morrow.

THURSDAY, July 25, 1776.

Resolved, That two months' pay be advanced to Mons. Jaque Antoine de Franchessin; he to be accountable.

A memorial of Samuel Holden Parsons, of Lyme, in Connecticut, was presented to Congress, and read:

Resolved, That it be referred to a committee of three:

The members chosen, Mr. Jefferson, Mr. Wilson, and Mr. Sherman.

A memorial from sundry officers who served in Canada, and are now unemployed, was laid before Congress, and read:

Resolved, That it be referred to the board of war.

Agreeable to order, the Congress resolved itself into a committee of the whole, to take into their farther consideration, the articles of confederation; after some time, the president resumed the chair, and Mr. Harrison reported, that the committee have made farther progress in the consideration of the articles of confederation; but, not having gone through, desired leave to sit again. A letter of the 23d, from general Washington, enclosing a letter from governor Trumbull, to the general; also,

A letter from governor Trumbull, of the 19th, with sundry depositions; and, One of the 16th, from the committee of safety of New-Hampshire, were laid before Congress, and read.

Resolved, That the letter from general Washington be referred to the board of war.

The committee of claims reported, that there is due,

To Francis Gurney, for expenses of himself and others, escorting money to Cambridge, in February last, the sum of 162 dollars and 84-90ths, over and beside the monies advanced to him:

To Henry Wisner, esq. for the expenses of an express paid by him, the sum of 20 dollars:

To Thomas Dewees, for boarding prisoners of state, 437 dollars and 68-90ths: To David Lennox, for expenses in going after deserters, the sum of 31 dollars and 86-90ths, to be paid to David Sproat:

To William Trickett, for stationary, the sum of 43 dollars and 76-90ths.
To Philip Nolan, for ferriages of general Lee's guards, 4 dollars and 12-90ths:
To Elizabeth Slaving, for boarding and nursing a sick soldier, 4 dollars:
To J. Piling, for chairs for the war-office, the sum of 12 dollars:

To John Kerling, for provisions for general Lee's guards, 4 dollars and 54-90ths.

To Isaac Cooper, for his attendance as a guard over powder, the sum of 11 dollars.

To Furman and Hunt, for necessaries furnished the prisoners at Trenton, the sum of 47 dollars and 87-90ths:

To John Bates, for camp-kettles, the sum of 98 dollars and 60-90ths:

To Elijah Bennet, post-rider, in the service of the United States, from Hartford, in Connecticut, to various places, the sum of 1331 dollars and 66-90ths, deducting 819 dollars and 86-90ths, which he has received from the colony of Connecticut, the balance being 511 dollars and 70-90ths :

To Michael Philips, employed by brigadier-general Wooster in making sundry repairs in the citadel and hospital in Montreal, carting, &c. 397 dollars and 75-90ths, deducting the sum of 96 dollars and 7-90ths, which he received from major Nicholson, the balance being 301 dollars and 68-90ths:

To James Budden, for the expense of a detachment of the troop of lighthorse escorting 300,000 dollars to New-York, the sum of 28 dollars:

Ordered, That the said accounts be paid.

Resolved, That this Congress will, to-morrow, resolve itself into a committee of the whole, to take into farther consideration, the articles of confederation.

Adjourned to nine o'clock to-morrow.

FRIDAY, July 26, 1776.

Congress proceeded to the election of three commissioners to liquidate and settle the accounts in the northern department; and, the ballots being taken, Mr. James Milligan, Mr. John Carter, and, Mr. Wells, were elected.

The committee on the treasury laid before Congress the account of Messrs. Price and Haywood, with the balance due to them:

Ordered, To lie on the table.

Resolved, That the substance of the conference between general Washington and adjutant-general Patterson, which was transmitted to Congress by general Washington, be published.

Congress resolved itself into a committee of the whole, to take into farther consideration the articles of confederation; and, after some time, the president resumed the chair, and Mr. Morton reported, that the committee have made farther progress; but, not having concluded, desire leave to sit again. Resolved, That this Congress will, on Monday next, resolve itself into a committee of the whole, to take into farther consideration the articles of confederation.

Resolved, That an order for 2000 dollars be drawn on the treasurers in favor of Dr. W. Shippen; he to be accountable.

The several matters to this day referred, being postponed,
Adjourned to ten o'clock on Monday.

MONDAY, July 29, 1776.

Sundry letters were laid before Congress, and read, viz.

Three from general Washington of the 22d, 25th and 27th;

One from general Schuyler, of the 17th, and one from general Gates, of the 16th;

One of the 25th, from J. Reed, adjutant-general; and one from brigadiergeneral Mercer, of the 26th:

One of the 20th, from governor Trumbull :

One of the 25th, from the convention of New-Jersey, and one from the council of Massachusetts-Bay:

One from Mons. Kirmovan, engineer, with a plan and draughts; and one, in Latin, without signature:

Also two petitions, one from George Nicholson, and one from James Livingston.

Resolved, That general Washington be empowered to appoint another aidde-camp:

[blocks in formation]

That the letters from general Washington, general Schuyler, and general Gates, and the letter from Mons. Kirmovan, be referred to the board of war. That the letter from the convention of New-Jersey be referred to the committee on the ways and means of augmenting the flying-camp; and, that Mr. Clark be added to the said committee:

That the letter from the adjutant-general be referred to the committee appointed to revise the articles of war:

That the petition of James Nicholson be referred to the commissioners who I went to Canada:

That the petition from George Nicholson be referred to the committee on Canada affairs:

That the Latin letter be referred to the marine committee.

Resolved, That an order for 47 dollars be drawn on the treasurers, in favor of Josiah Fissenden, in full for service, expenses, and horse-hire.

A letter, of the 20th, from the council of Virginia, was received and read. The board of war brought in a report, which was taken into consideration ; Whereupon,

Resolved, That general Washington be empowered to order the regiment, lately raised in Connecticut, under the command of colonel Ward, wheresoever he shall think the service requires it:

That Mons. Jean Artur de Virmonet, who appears to be a young gentleman of merit, and has held a lieutenant's commission in the service of France, be appointed a brevet captain; and that Mons. Marie Fidel Dorre be sent as a volunteer, to be employed by general Washington as he shall think proper :

That Mons. Christopher Pelliser, who has suffered considerably by warmly espousing and taking an active part in the cause of America, in Canada, be appointed an engineer in the service of the United States, with the pay of 60 dollars a month, and rank of lieutenant-colonel; and that he be directed to repair to New York:

That the returns of colonel Elmore's regiment, made into the war-office by brigadier-general Wooster, be transmitted to general Washington, with blank commissions for the officers: And that general Washington be directed to order the said regiment to join him, and that he fill up the said commissions, with the names of such officers as appear with their respective companies in the said regiment.

That John Brown be commissioned as lieutenant-colonel, and that Robert Cockran, now acting as eldest captain in the said regiment, be commissioned as major of the same, in the room of major J. Curtis, deceased.

Resolved, That a lieutenant-colonel be appointed for the second Pennsylvania battalion, in the room of W. Allen, who has resigned :

The ballots being taken, Joseph Wood, esq. was elected.

Congress then resolved itself into a' committee of the whole, to take into their consideration, the articles of confederation; and, after some time, the president resumed the chair, and Mr. Morton reported, that the committee have made farther progress in the articles of confederation; but, not having finished, desire leave to sit again.

A petition from Samuel Morris was presented to Congress, and read.
The committee on spies brought in a farther report, which was read :
Ordered, To lie on the table.

Resolved, That the gaoler be directed to allow the prisoners, from NorthCarolina, the use and benefit of the yard, under the inspection of the guard, provided it may be done with safety.

Resolved, That this Congress will, to-morrow, resolve itself into a committee of the whole, to take into their farther consideration the articles of confederation.

Adjourned to nine o'clock to-morrow.

[ocr errors]

TUESDAY, July 30, 1776.

A letter of the 28th, from brigadier-general Mercer, was laid before Congress, and read, requesting six light-horse may be sent to him; Whereupon, Resolved, That the president write to S. Morris, esq. captain of the lighthorse, and request him to send six of his company to brigadier-general Mercer. Congress being informed, by a letter from the president of South-Carolina, that the Cherokees have commenced hostilities against that state, and that he has ordered a body of men to march against them, and has applied for assistance to the neighboring states of North-Carolina and Virginia,

Resolved, That it be recommended to the states of Virginia, North-Carolina, and Georgia, to afford all necessary assistance to the state of South-Carolina, and co-operate, with that state, in prosecuting the war against the Indians with the utmost vigor ;

That the president write to the governor and council of Virginia, the council of safety of North-Carolina, and the president of Georgia, relative to the above subjects.

Resolved, That a committee of three be appointed to take into consideration the state of North-Carolina, and report thereon to Congress :

1

The members chosen, Mr. Harrison, Mr. S. Adams, and Mr. Lynch. Congress took into consideration the report of the committee appointed to enquire into the causes of the miscarriages in Canada, wherein they represent, as their opinion,

"That the short inlistments of the continental troops, in Canada, have been one great cause of the miscarriages there, by rendering unstable the number of men engaged in military enterprizes, by making them disorderly and disobedient to their officers, and by precipitating the commanding officers into measures, which their prudence might have postponed, could they have relied on a longer continuance of their troops in service:

"That the want of hard money has been one other great source of the miscarriages in Canada, rendering the supplies of necessaries difficult and precarious, the establishment of proper magazines absolutely impracticable, and the pay of the troops of little use to them:

"That a still greater, and more fatal, source of misfortunes has been, the prevalence of the small pox in that army; a great proportion whereof has thereby been usually kept unfit for duty."

With this Congress concurred.

On the farther consideration of the report, Congress came to the following resolutions :

That colonel Bedel be tried by a court-martial for leaving his command at the Cedars, and for declining to return to the same with major Sherburne's

reinforcement :

That major Butterfield be tried by a court-martial for surrendering to the enemy the post at the Cedars, and also such other officers as were with him, and consented to that surrender.

The said committee having farther reported, that, in the course of their enquiries, they had reason to believe, that general Prescot's baggage was plundered by some licentious persons, in violation of the faith of the capitulation; Whereupon,

Resolved, That general Schuyler be desired to make strict enquiry into the same, that the person guilty thereof may receive due punishment, and ample indemnification be made to general Prescot.

That colonel Bedel, doctor Fay, and lieutenant House, be subjected to this enquiry.

Resolved, That so much of the petitions of col. Easton and major Brown, as prays, that the charges against them, of having been concerned in plundering the officers' baggage, taken at Sorel, be submitted to a court of enquiry, is

reasonable, and that general Schuyler be desired to order courts of enquiry on them as soon as possible.

Resolved, That general Montgomery's promise to give to the troops concerned in taking the vessels on the Sorel, "all the public stores, except ammunition and provisions, on board thereof," be confirmed; and that general Schuyler be directed to cause an enquiry to be made into the particulars and value of the said public stores, (ammunition and provision excepted) and to certify the same to Congress, with the names of the officers and soldiers entitled thereto :

That so much of major Brown's petition, as prays, that an allowance be made to him for extraordinary services, be referred to general Schuyler, who is desired to certify to Congress, whether any and what reward may, with justice, be demanded by him:

That major Brown's accounts be settled by the commissioners appointed to adjust accounts in the northern department.

Resolved, That the committee be discharged from proceeding on so much of the petition of colonel Easton, as prays a continuance of his rank and pay, and so much of major Brown's petition, as prays an examination into his rank and pay, and that they be referred to the board of war.

That general Schuyler be desired to enquire into the conduct of colonel Hazen, who is charged with having beaten and ill-treated Francois Cuilot de la Rose, a continental captain of Canadian militia, and also to have ill-treated Charles Robert de la Fontaine, a Canadian, at Chambly, and put such conduct into a proper channel for trial and punishment:

1

That it be recommended to general Schuyler, whenever the pay of officers or soldiers is stopped, on account of any charge against them, to have such charge determined by trial as speedily as possible, that there may be no delay of justice.

Resolved, That general Wooster acted properly in stopping the goods of Bernard and Wadden, who were carrying the same, without permission, to the Indians in the upper country.

Resolved, That the committee have leave to sit again, and that they be instructed to enquire in what manner the goods of Bernard and Wadden were disposed of.

Resolved, That the secret committee be directed to supply the three rifle companies, now in town from Lancaster, with 11lb. of powder and 44 lb of lead. Resolved, That 500,000 dollars be sent to the pay-master-general.

That 60,000 dollars be sent to R. Dallam, deputy pay-master-general, for the use of the flying-camp.

Congress proceeded to the election of a clerk, or assistant, to the auditorgeneral; when,

William Govet was elected.

Resolved, That William Govet be allowed the salary of 533 dollars and 1-3d per annum.

Resolved, That all public claims and accounts, that are, at this time, unsettled, be referred to the committee of treasury, and that the committee of claims be discharged from proceeding further upon any claims or accounts; and that all the books and papers in the hands of the committee of claims, be delivered to the auditor-general.

The board of war brought in a report, which was taken into consideration; Whereupon,

Resolved, That the resolution of the 17th of January last, allowing to officers 1 dollar and 1-3d for every man they inlist, be extended to officers who inlist for the new army for three years:

That gen. Mercer's letter, relative to the building of boats, be referred to general Washington, with direction to give such orders therein as he shall judge

« PreviousContinue »