To William Adams, for stabling, oats, &c. for eight wagon-horses and three Virginia light-horse, 11 dollars:

To Dr. Frederick Phyle, for the amount of his account for medicine and attendance to the German battalion, in Philadelphia, 199.48 dollars:

To John Fleming, for the hire of his team 20 days in the service of the army, and for ferriages paid by him, 80.27 dollars, and 4 dollars, for the ferriage of his wagon and horses over Bald-Friars, on the Susquehanna, kept by Alexander Ewing, as appears by his receipt, and which the said Fleming was compelled to pay, or he could not pass, and which appears an extortionate sum : the whole amounts to 84.27 dollars:

Ordered, That the said accounts be paid.

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

FRIDAY, February 21, 1777.

The committee, to whom was recommitted the plan reported for suppressing the internal enemies of America, and preventing a communication of intelligence to the other enemies of these states, brought in a report, which was read:

Ordered, To lie on the table.

Congress took into consideration the letter of the 10th from general Lee; and, thereupon,

Resolved, That gen. Washington be directed to inform gen. Lee, that Congress are pursuing, and will continue to pursue, every means in their power to provide for his personal safety, and to obtain his liberty:

That gen. Washington inform him of the steps taken to effect these ends, and, at the same time, acquaint him, that Congress judge it altogether improper to send any of their body to communicate with him, and that they cannot perceive how a compliance with his request will tend to his advantage or the interest of the public

Agreeable to the order of the day, Congress proceeded to ballot for the brigadiers, previously agreeing, that the rank of the brigadiers, now to be elected, shall be settled after the elections; and, the ballots being taken and counted, the following gentlemen were elected:

Col. Enock Poor, col. J. Glover, col. J. Patterson, col. Anthony Wayne, col. James Mitchel Varnum, col. J. P. De Haas, col. G. Weedon, col. P. Muhlenberg, col. J. Cadwallader, and col. W. Woodford.

Resolved, That the rank of the foregoing brigadiers, and of brigadier Nash, be settled to-morrow.

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

SATURDAY, February 22, 1777.

Resolved, That Thomas Bullit, esq. deputy adjutant-general, have the rank of a colonel on the continental establishment.

Congress proceeded to settle the rank of the brigadiers elected yesterday, and of brigadier Nash, with respect to each other; and, thereupon,

Resolved, That such as are in the continental service, take rank according to the dates of their commissions, and the rank they held in the army at the time of their promotion; and that such as do not hold continental commissions, stand after them in the order in which they are elected.

On motion, "That colonel Woodford, who formerly held a commission of colonel in the continental service, but resigned, take rank according to the date of the said commission :"

Question put-Carried in the negative.

A memorial from Regnier de Roussi, and a representation from Thomas Rutherford, and three other prisoners from North-Carolina, were read:

Ordered, That the memorial from Regnier de Roussi be referred to the board of war; and,

That the representation from the North-Carolina prisoners be referred to the board of treasury.

Congress took into consideration the report of the committee of ways and means; Whereupon,

Resolved, That thirteen millions of dollars be borrowed on loan-office certificates, of the following denominations :

Resolved, That all certificates, issuing after the first emission, be signed by Michael Hillegas, esq. treasurer, or Samuel Hillegas, and countersigned agreeable to the resolutions of Congress of the 3d of October, 1776, and 15th of January, 1777.

Resolved, That the farther consideration of the report be postponed.

Resolved, That the treasurer be directed to remain in Baltimore till the farther orders of Congress.

Resolved, That one million of dollars be lodged in the hands of John Gibson, esq. auditor-general, to be subject to the draughts or orders of Congress; he to be accountable

Resolved, That 400 dollars be paid to the delegates of Connecticut, and charged to that state.

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

Resolved, That Jost Triesback be appointed a captain, and Charles Merckle a lieutenant, in major Ottendorf's corps:

That 1500 dollars be paid to Dr. Samuel M'Kenzie, for the use of the hospital in Baltimore; he to be accountable.

Resolved, That a member be added to the committee on the treasury:
The member chosen, Mr. William Smith.

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

MONDAY, February 24, 1777.

A letter, of the 23d of December last, from major-general Ward; one, of the 12th, from col. G. Morgan, at Pittsburg, with sundry papers enclosed; one, of the 22d, from the committee of Congress, at Philadelphia; one, of the 20th, from gen. Washington; and one, of the 20th, from G. Walton, esq. were read:

Ordered, That the letter from colonel Morgan, with the papers enclosed, be referred to the committee on Indian affairs; and that the letter from general Ward, be referred to the board of war.

Resolved, That 2600 dollars be paid to lieutenant Hudson Martin, and charged to the account of the pay-master general; the same being in full of an order drawn by general Washington, on William Palfrey, pay-master general, in favor of Levin Joynes, dated February 10, 1777, and endorsed by the said Joynes to captain Woodson, and by captain Woodson to the said lieutenant H. Martin.

Ordered, That the letter from the committee of Congress, and that from general Washington, be referred to a committee of the whole:

Congress, thereupon, resolved itself into a committee of the whole; and, after some time, the president resumed the chair; and Mr. Harrison reported, that the committee have taken into consideration the letters referred to them, and have come to sundry resolutions, which he was ordered to report.

The resolutions reported from the committee of the whole Congress being read, and the question put on each, were agreed to as follows:

Resolved, That general Washington be informed, that it will be agreeable to Congress, that he call over to him, such farther aid from the troops under general Heath, as he shall think proper, and that he order all the continental troops that are at Providence, immediately to join him:

That the convention of New-York be desired to place as many militia on the Highlands as may be sufficient to defend those passes against any attempts of the enemy, during the absence of the regular troops.

And, in order farther to strengthen the hands of the general,

Resolved, That the board of war be directed to send letters by express to the colonels or other commanding officers of the several regiments, now raising and recruiting in the states of Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia, ordering them immediately to march the troops inlisted under their command, by companies and parts of companies, to join the army under general Washington; proper officers being left behind, to recruit the companies or corps that are not yet completed, and to bring up the recruits:

That general Washington be directed to write similar letters to the colonels or other commanding officers of the regiments now raising and recruiting in the states of New Hampshire, Massachusetts-Bay, Rhode-Island, Connecticut, New-York, and New-Jersey, excepting such regiments as he shall' destine for the service of the northern department:

That the governor of New-Jersey be requested to order the militia of that state properly armed and equipped, immediately to join the general; and that the council of safety of Pennsylvania be also requested to send to the aid of the general, such of their militia, properly armed and equipped, as are contiguous to New-Jersey. It being the earnest desire of Congress, to make the army under the immediate command of general Washington, sufficiently strong, not only to curb and confine the enemy within their present quarters, and prevent them from drawing support of any kind from the country, but, by the divine blessing, totally to subdue them before they can be reinforced.

Congress took into consideration the report of the board of war of the 14th: Whereupon,

Resolved, That the several states be requested to take the most effectual steps for immediately collecting from the inhabitants, not in actual service, all continental arms, and give notice of the number they shall collect to general Washington :

That all arms and accoutrements, belonging to the United States, be stamped or marked with the words United States; all arms already made to be stamped upon such parts as will receive the impression, and those hereafter to be manufactured, to be stamped with the said words on every part composing the stand; and all arms and accoutrements so stamped or marked, shall be taken wherever found for the use of the states, except they shall be in the hands of those actually in continental service:

That it be recommended to the legislatures of the several states, to enact proper laws for the punishment of those who shall unlawfully take, secrete, refuse or neglect to deliver, any continental arms or accoutrements which they may have in their possession.

Ordered, That the farther consideration of the report be postponed till to

morrow.

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

TUESDAY, February 25, 1777.

Congress resumed the consideration of the report of the board of war: Whereupon,

Resolved, That the several states be requested and empowered to borrow VOL. II.

7

or purchase, on behalf of the continent, from the militia within the said states, respectively, as many good and sufficient arms as can possibly be procured.

Ordered, That the farther consideration of the report be postponed.

A petition from Jacob Haymaker was read, praying to be allowed a compensation for some horses stolen from him by the Indians:

On the question put, to comply with the prayer of the petition,-Carried in the negative.

The committee to whom the state of the North-Carolina prisoners was referred, brought in a report, which was taken into consideration: Whereupon,

Resolved, That the prisoners from North-Carolina, now in prison, or under guard in Baltimore, be put upon their parole, and engaged to continue at Fredericktown, in Maryland, or within one mile of it, till the farther order of Congress.

Ordered, That the committee who brought in the report, carry the resolution into execution, and take such security of the prisoners, for the faithful observance of their parole, as the said committee think proper:

Congress being informed that a quantity of woollens are brought into the port of Baltimore, by a privateer belonging to the state of New-York, which are fit for the army, and immediately necessary for clothing and supplying the new raised levies;

Resolved, That the board of war be directed to appoint proper persons to appraise the said woollens, in order that the value of the same may be paid to the state of New-York, or that a like quantity of woollens be supplied that state from the clothier-general; and that the board of war give directions for having the cloth, thus obtained, made up as quickly as possible into soldiers' clothes.

The committee on the post-office brought in a report, which was read: Ordered, To lie on the table.

Congress took into consideration the report of the committee on deserters; and, thereupon, came to the following resolutions:

To the end, that the most speedy stop may be put to the pernicious and unsoldierly practice of deserting, and that such offenders who receive the public money for services that they design not to perform, may be certainly and speedily carried back to the corps they have deserted from, it is earnestly recommended to the committees of observation or inspection in these United States, that they cause diligent enquiry to be made, in their respective counties or districts, for all deserters that may be lurking or harbored therein, and cause such, whenever found, to be immediately secured, and conveyed to the nearest continental officer; and all such officers are hereby directed to receive and secure such deserters, that they may be safely delivered to their respective regiments, and brought to a speedy trial and exemplary punishment; and farther, to pay to the persons delivering such deserters, eight dollars for each deserter so brought and delivered, and 12-90ths of a dollar in lieu of expenses for every mile from the place where the deserter was taken up to the place where he is delivered to the officer.

Ordered, That the foregoing resolve, and the 1st, 2d, and 3d articles of the 6th section of the articles of war, be published in the several news-papers for six months, and also, that 500 copies be printed in hand-bills, and sent to camp, to be distributed among the officers.

On an application from two officers of the 2d and 7th Virginia battalions, who were left behind to bring up the baggage of their respective battalions, and from a surgeon's mate belonging to the 2d battalion, for two months' pay for themselves and the men with them, to enable them to proceed to

eamp.

Ordered, That they apply to Jonathan Hudson, esq. and that he pay the said officers and inen two months' pay; and transmit an account thereof to the general, and to the pay-master general.

Ordered, That Mr. Witherspoon have leave of absence.

Resolved, That 3000 dollars be advanced to the delegates of Georgia, for the use of that state; the said state to be accountable.

Ordered, That Mr. Sergeant have leave of absence, for the recovery of his health.

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

Resolved, That Mons. Regnier de Roussi be allowed the rank and pay of a lieutenant-colonel from the 12th day of January, 1777, and be referred for future employment to general Washington.

The committee of treasury reported, that there is due,

To Dr. Benjamin Rush, for sundry medicines and attendance to sick soldiers and prisoners, 473.18 dollars:

To Richard Stockton, esq. and to be paid to Dr. Benjamin Rush, for the hire of two horses, a sulkey, &c. for his journey to Ticonderoga last fall, by order of Congress, 151.30 dollars:

To capt. James Cox, for the pay of a guard of militia to the treasury, and prisoners, and for candles for the use of the guard, 104.42 dollars:

That there should be paid to Samuel Purviance, esq. 147.87 dollars, the amount of George Pressman's account for plaistering done by him in the court-house in Baltimore, and for nails, wood, &c. which work was done to accommodate Congress :

Ordered, That the said accounts be paid.

It being represented to Congress, that profaneness in general, and particularly cursing and swearing, shamefully prevail in the army of the United States,

Resolved, That general Washington be informed of this; and that he be requested to take the most proper measures, in concert with his general officers, for reforming this abuse.

Resolved, That the order for adjourning to Philadelphia be suspended.
The several matters to this day referred, being postponed,
Adjourned to ten o'clock to-morrow.

WEDNESDAY, February 26, 1777.

Resolved, That William Spear be appointed a superintendent of the press, in addition to those already appointed.

Resolved, That 3000 dollars be paid to colonel Stephen Moylan, for the purpose of recruiting his regiment, agreeable to the tenor of a warrant from general Washington, as certified by an order, signed by the committee of Congress, dated Philadelphia, February 18, 1777.

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

Resolved, That 100 dollars be advanced to Thomas Edgar, conductor of a brigade of wagons, laden with the baggage of the 24 and 7th Virginia regiments; he to be accountable.

Congress resumed the consideration of the rate of interest to be allowed on the sums of money ordered to be borrowed; Whereupon,

Resolved, That an interest of 6 per cent. per annum be allowed on all sums of money already borrowed, and directed to be borrowed on loan-office certificates, although such certificates mention only ar interest of 4 per cent. per annum.

Resolved, That the interest on the prizes, drawn in the continental lottery, shall remain at 4 per cent.

Resolved, That it be recommended to the legislatures of the several state,