arms, and flints, to the order of the board of war, and the remainder of the cargo to the clothier-general, or his order.

Congress took into consideration the report of the committee on tories and disaffected persons; and, after debate,

Ordered, That it be re-committed.

The committee of treasury reported, on the letter of James Warren, esq. "That the loss sustained by James Warren, esq. whilst pay-master general, in consequence of his keeping an additional office at Cambridge, at the request of the general, for the convenience of the army, as particularly set forth in the depositions of himself, Isaac Lothrop, esq. and William Winthrop, amounting to 1401.42 dollars, ought to be allowed in the adjustment of his account at the treasury-office :"

Ordered, That the said allowance be made.

Resolved, That two members be added to the committee for revising and. printing the journal.

The members chosen, Mr. J. B. Smith and Mr. Brownson.
The several matters to this day referred, being postponed,
Adjourned to ten o'clock to-morrow.

TUESDAY, April 1, 1777.

A letter, of the 29th of March, from general Washington; one, of the 21st of the same month, from brigadier Lewis, were read:

Ordered, That the letter from brigadier Lewis be referred to the board of war.

Resolved, That Ephraim Blaine, esq. be appointed commissary for supplying, with provisions, the troops now in the county of Cumberland, in Pennsylvania, and such as may bereafter march through that county, as well as the artificers and troops, who shall be employed in the magazine and laboratory, to be erected at Carlisle.

Congress proceeded to the election of three brigadiers, and, the ballots being taken, the following gentlemen were chosen:

Colonel Edward Hand; colonel Charles Scott.

Resolved, That the election of the third brigadier-general be postponed till to-morrow.

An appeal being lodged from the judgment of the court of admiralty, for the state of Pennsylvania, on the libel John Baldwin vs. Robert Polke,

Ordered, That it be referred to the committee for hearing and determining appeals.

The committee on the treasury brought in a report, which was read and considered; Whereupon,

Ordered, That Messrs. Price & Haywood procure, of general Schuyler and the deputy pay-master general of the northern department, certificates of the specie which they have received, in consequence of an order of Congress, of the 13th of August last, and that the balance which shall appear to be due to them, on adjusting their accounts at the treasury-office, be paid by a bill of exchange, to be drawn by the president on the commissioners of the United States in France, and countersigned by the auditor-general.

Ordered, That the managers of the lottery of the United States, send such a number of tickets for sale, as they shall judge necessary, to the paymaster and deputy pay-master general in the northern department. For the better regulating the pay of the army,

Resolved, That the pay-master or deputy pay-master general shall pay no money, but by warrants from the commanders in chief in their respective departments, countersigned by their respective secretaries; and that the money be paid only to the person specified in the warrant, or to his order in writing, excepting in cases otherwise provided by Congress.

That the regimental abstracts be made up by the regimental pay-masters at the close of every month, and certified by the respective colonels, or commanding officers and brigadiers, who shall carefully examine and compare the same with the weekly returns; after which, they shall be lodged with the pay-master, or deputy pay-master general, until orders are given for the payment.

That the regimental pay-masters only shall receive from the pay-master, or deputy pay-masters general, the money due upon abstracts to the officers and soldiers; and the said regimental pay-masters alone shall settle with, and pay, the money due to the officers and soldiers of the regiments to which they respectively belong, either in person or to their order, and take receipts for the same, to be produced as vouchers on the settlement of their respective

accounts.

That officers and soldiers, who may be prisoners of war, shall be made up in the abstracts of the regiment to which they belong, to the time of their captivity, and authentic returns shall be made, with such abstracts of the names of the officers and soldiers aforesaid, their rank and the company to which they belong, the time of their captivity, and the pay that was then due. And whenever such prisoners are to be exchanged, a pay-roll shall be made out by the pay-master, or deputy pay-master general, for the pay due to them, to the time of their return, and the money shall be sent to them, and paid by the officer appointed to receive them, and their receipts immediately lodged with the pay-master or deputy pay-master general.

That whenever any regimental pay-master leaves the service, or is dismissed, he shall make a return to the pay-master or deputy pay-master general, of the names of the commissioned and non-commissioned officers and soldiers of his regiment, who remain unpaid, the sums due to them respectively, and what balance of cash he has remaining; all which shall be lodged with the pay-master, or deputy pay-master general, to be, by him, delivered to the next pay-master of the said regiment, or otherwise disposed of, as the commander in chief of the department may think proper.

That no commissioned or non-commissioned officer or soldier, coming from any department where a pay-master or deputy pay-master general is appointed, shall receive, in any other department, the pay that may be due to him, unless he produces a certificate from his colonel or commanding officer, countersigned by the pay-master, or deputy pay-master general of the department to which he belongs, of the sum bona fide due to him, and deliver the same, with a receipt thereon.

Resolved, That the pay of the assistant pay-masters, in the northern department, be augmented to 40 dollars a month; and that they be allowed three rations a day.

Resolved, That the pay of the secretary to the commander in chief be augmented to 100 dollars a month; and that colonel Harrison, the present secretary, be allowed that pay from the time of his appointment to that office. The committee on the treasury reported,

That a warrant should be issued by the president, on the loan-officer, for the state of Pennsylvania, in favor of Robert Morris, George Clymer and George Walton, esqrs. a committee of Congress, for 215,000 dollars, for which they are to account.

That another warrant issue on the same loan-officer, in favor of the secret committee, for 10,000 dollars, for which the said committee shall account. That James Wood, colonel of the 12th regiment of Virginia forces, in continental service, having borrowed of John Campbell, esq. 1,800 dollars for the use of his regiment, as appears by his receipts, and, at the same time, having drawn an order for the said sum, the same ought to be paid and charged to his account.

That there is due to James Warren, esq. for the pay due to him as paymaster general, from the 4th of May to the 15th of June, 1776, being 42 days, at 1200 dollars per annum, 138 6 dollars, which sum should be paid by a warrant from the president on the loan-office of the state of Massachusetts-Bay.

Ordered, That the said warrants be drawn, and sums paid accordingly. The board of war brought in a report, which was taken into consideration; Whereupon,

Resolved, That no officer already appointed, or to be hereafter appointed, in the army of the United States, shall take rank by virtue of a commission antedated, but rank shall be determined by the time of appointment, unless otherwise directed by special resolution of Congress.

Resolved, That it be recommended to the legislatures, and, in their recess, to the executive powers of the respective states, that they forthwith transmit to the board of war, exact lists of all officers appointed by them in the continental army, with the dates of their commissions and times of appointment. Ordered, That major-general St. Clair repair to Ticonderoga, and serve under general Gates; and that previous to his setting out, he repair immediately to Philadelphia, and there wait the farther orders of Congress. The several matters to this day referred, being postponed, Adjourned to ten o'clock to-morrow.

WEDNESDAY, April 2, 1777.

A letter, of the 31st of March, from general Washington, and one, of the 19th of the same month, from the chevalier de Preudhome de Borre, were read. Ordered, That the letter from the general be referred to the board of war. The committee on the treasury brought in a report, which was taken into consideration; Whereupon,

Resolved, That the pay-master, and deputy pay-master general, at the end of every month, after the first day of May next, shall make up rolls, containing the names of the general and other officers of the army, to which they respectively belong, who are not comprised in the regimental abstracts, excepting only the commander in chief of the several departments, who shall respectively examine such rolls, and issue their warrants on the pay-master or deputy pay-master general, for the sums due on the same.

That the commanders in chief of the several departments be directed to order payment to such officers and detachments of the army, as shall, at any time, be ordered to other departments, to be made to the day of their marching or leaving the camp, and that certificates be given by the respective paymaster or deputy pay-master general, mentioning the names of such officers and corps, together with the time to which they are paid, which certificates shall be delivered by the commanding officer of the respective detachments, or by such officers as shall be ordered without detachments, to the pay-master or deputy pay-master general of the department to which they are ordered, to enable him to examine and make up their future rolls and abstracts.

The committee appointed to confer with generals Gates and Green, brought in a report, and desired leave to sit again.

Ordered, That they have leave, and that Mr. J. B. Smith be added to the said committee.

Congress proceeded to the election of a third brigadier, and, the ballots being taken,

Colonel Ebenezer Learned was chosen.

Ordered, That a copy of the letter, this day received from general Washington, be sent to the council of Pennsylvania and to the governors of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia, and that governor Johnson, of Maryland, be requested to give orders for the immediate removal of the powder and mili

tary stores at Annapolis to the town of Frederick, in Maryland, and the powder and military stores at Baltimore, to the town of Carlisle, in Pennsylvania, and take measures to have this done with all possible expedition.

Congress resumed the consideration of the report of the medical committee on the hospital, and, after debate,

Ordered, That the same lie for farther consideration.

Ordered, That a committee of three be appointed to revise Dr. Shippen's plan for regulating the hospital, and report thereon.

The members chosen, Mr. Gerry, Mr. Burke and Mr. J. Adams. Ordered, That Mr. Sergeant have leave of absence, to visit his family. Ordered, That the board of war grant such reward, as they judge proper, to the pilots who discovered and informed against James Molesworth. The several matters to this day referred, being postponed, Adjourned to ten o'clock on Friday.

FRIDAY, April 4, 1777.

Mr. Sykes, one of the delegates from Delaware, attended, and produced the credentials of his appointment, which were read as follows:

"IN COUNCIL, February 22, 1777.

"Whereas Nicholas Van Dyke and James Sykes, esqrs. have been chosen, by joint ballot of both houses in the general assembly, to represent the Delaware state in the Continental Congress, in the room and stead of John Dickinson and John Evans, esqrs. Resolved, That they, together with George Read, esq. or any one or more of them, are hereby fully authorized and empowered, for and in behalf of this state, to concert, agree to, and execute any measure, which they or he, together with a majority of the Continental Congress, shall judge necessary, for the defence, security, interest, and welfare of this state in particular, and America in general, with power to adjourn to such times and places, as shall appear most conducive to the public safety and advantage. Sent for concurrence.

"Eodem die, in assembly, read and concurred.

"Extract from the minutes,

"SLATOR CLAY, Clerk of the Council." Brigadier Armstrong having requested leave to resign, and, for that purpose, enclosed his commission,

Ordered, That he have leave, and that his resignation be accepted.

A remonstrance and petition from sundry persons in York-Town, in Pennsylvania, was read.

Ordered, That the same, together with the papers enclosed, be referred to the board of treasury.

Ordered, That the board of treasury settle the accounts of colonel Hand, who is promoted to the rank of brigadier, in order that he may deliver up his regiment, and enter upon the duties of his new office as soon as possible.

The secret committee having, by direction of Congress, in their resolve of the first of December last, appointed Messrs. Abraham Livingston and William Turnbull, agents, to repair to the eastern states, for the purpose of purchasing and collecting clothing for the use of the army, which business they have assiduously performed, and for which purpose, the said committee advanced to the said agents 20,000 dollars at the time they set out, and the farther sum of 120,000 dollars, granted to them for that purpose, the 15th of February last, as appears by the order of Congress of that date, and the receipts of these two sums are acknowledged by the said agents, in their letters dated the 19th and 22d of March last: It also appearing, that the said agents have drawn sundry bills on the said committee, which are not yet paid: and whereas, general Washington, agreeably to the powers vested in him by VOL. II.

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Congress, has lately appointed James Mease, esq. clothier-general for the American army, whose business it now is to settle and adjust all accounts respecting the clothing of the army; therefore,

Resolved, That the secret committee be credited in the treasury books for 140,000 dollars paid by them to the' said Messrs. Abraham Livingston and William Turnbull, and that the same be charged to James Mease, esq. who is to settle all accounts, with the said agents, respecting the business in which they have been employed, and to pay the draughts they have drawn, or may rightfully draw on the said committee, or on him as clothier-general, and that he also be empowered to make them reasonable compensation for their services.

The committee appointed to confer with general Green, brought in a farther report, which was taken into consideration; Whereupon,

Resolved, That there be one commissary-general of musters for the army of the United States:

That there be four deputy muster-masters general :

That the said appointments be made by Congress:

That one deputy muster-master be appointed to each grand division of the army, and that these appointments be made by the commander in chief: That the troops be mustered, once in every month, by the deputy mustermasters, and once, at least, in every three months, the deputy muster-master general of each department shall superintend at such muster:

That, in mustering, particular attention be paid to the clothes, arms, accoutrements, and pay of the troops, and a report made to the commanding officer of the department, of neglect or deficiency:

That, on every muster, five rolls be made out by the captain or commanding officer of every company or troop, sworn to and signed by him and one other commissioned officer; one of which rolls shall be returned to him, certified by the officer of musters, one other shall be transmitted to the board of treasury, one to the pay-master general of the department, and one to the regimental pay-master, to be affixed to the pay-rolls:

That the deputy muster-master general of each department, return an abstract of each muster-roll once a month, to the deputy adjutant-general of that department, and one other abstract to the commissary-general of musters:

That the commissary-general of musters return to the adjutant-general, once a month, an abstract of all the musters, regimentally digested, together with an abstract of the rations drawn or retained by the several regiments: That the issuing-commissaries be obliged to deliver monthly to the commissary-general of musters, an abstract of the rations drawn or retained by the several regiments:

That the adjutant-general be ordered to send monthly to the board of war, a copy of the abstracts, which he received from the commissary-general of musters, together with an abstract of the returns of the army:

That the pay of the commissary-general of musters be 60 dollars a month, and 4 rations a day:

That the pay of the deputy muster-master general be 50 dollars a month, and 3 rations a day :

That the pay of a muster-master be 35 dollars a month, and two rations a day:

That the board of war send to the board of treasury, copies of the abstracts of rations that may be included in the adjutant-general's returns.

Ordered, That Monday next be assigned for the appointment of the commissary-general of musters, and deputy muster-masters general.

Resolved, That every officer, commanding a regiment, troop, or company, who shall, upon notice given to him by any officer of musters, refuse or neglect to assemble the regiment, troop, or company, under his command, shall, on proof thereof, before a general court-martial, be cashiered.