plied with gun-brushes, pickers, double-worms, screw-drivers, and oil; and that it be recommended to the Committee of Safety of the said Colony to provide the same.

'December 28. Resolved, That six battalions are necessary to be immediately raised in Virginia, and that they be raised accordingly, upon the same terms, and paid as the Continental forces in the Camp at Cambridge, unless the Convention of that Colony can. raise them on better terms.

'January 1, 1776. Resolved, That the President of the Provincial Council of North Carolina, and of Georgia, be requested to procure committees of their several bodies to repair immediately to Charleston, and there to confer with a committee of the Council of Safety of South Carolina, upon weighty and important matters relative to the defence and security of these Colonies.

'Resolved, That it appears, the British Ministry and their agents have meditated and are preparing to make attacks upon Charleston, in South Carolina, and several places in Virginia, and probably in North Carolina; and that it be recommended to the Conventions or Committees of Safety, of the two former Colonies, and to the Provincial Council of the other, by all possible means, to make a vigorous defence and opposition; and that it be farther recommended to the Committee of Safety of Virginia, and the Provin cial Council of North Carolina, to meet together and confer and conclude upon such operations, as they may think most for their mutual interest.

'January 2. Whereas it has been represented to this Congress that divers honest and well-meaning, but uninformed people in these Colonies, have, by the art and address of Ministerial Agents, been deceived and drawn into erroneous opinions respecting the American cause,

Resolved, That it be recommended to the different Assemblies, Conventions and Committees or Councils of Safety in the United Colonies, by the most speedy and effectual measures, to frustrate the mischievous machinations, and restrain the wicked practices of these men;

'And, in order that the said Assemblies, Conventions, Committees or Councils of Safety, may be enabled, with greater ease and facility, to carry this Resolution into execution,

'Resolved, That they be authorized to call to their aid whatever Continental troops, stationed in or near their respective Colonies, may be conveniently spared from their more immediate duty; and the commanding officers of such troops are hereby directed to afford the said Assemblies, Conventions, Committees or Councils of Safety, all such assistance in executing this Resolution, as they may require, and which, consistent with the good of the service, may be supplied.

Resolved, That all detachments of Continental troops, which may be ordered on the business in the foregoing Resolution men

tioned, be, while so employed, under the direction and control of the Assemblies, Conventions, Committees or Councils of Safety, aforesaid. Resolved, That it be recommended to all the United Colonies, to aid each other (on request from their respective Assemblies, Conventions, Committees or Councils of Safety, and County Committees) on every emergency, and to cultivate, cherish and increase the present happy and necessary union, by a continual interchange of mutual good offices.

'January 4. Resolved, That an additional battalion be raised in the county of Cumberland, in the Colony of Pennsylvania, to consist of the same number of men and officers, and to have the same pay and allowance as others raised in said Colony.

Resolved, That one company of each of the five battalions last ordered to be raised in Pennsylvania, consist of expert rifle

men.

January 5. Resolved, That the President write to General Washington, and desire him to inform Congress what rank the Aids-de-camp of the general officers should have in the army of the United Colonies.

'Resolved, That no farther fortifications be erected at Martler's Rock, on Hudson's River, and that a point of land at Pooplopen's Kill, on the said river, be, without delay, effectually fortified.

'Resolved, That it be recommended to the Convention, or in their recess, to the Committee of Safety of New York, to carry into execution the above Resolution.

'January 6. Resolved, That the Commander-in-Chief have onetwentieth part of the allotted prize-money, taken in any ship or ships, armed vessel or vessels, under his orders and command.

Resolved, That the memorial from the inhabitants of Newport, with the papers accompanying it, be referred to the consideration of the Colony of Rhode Island.

'January S. Resolved, That shipwrights be immediately sent, from New York and Philadelphia, to General Schuyler, or the Commander in Chief of the forces of Ticonderoga.

That General Schuyler be desired to have the River St. Lawrence, above and below Quebec, well explored.

'Resolved, That nine battalions, including that of Canadians under Colonel Livingston, be kept up and maintained the present year, for the defence of Canada.

'Resolved, That the first Pennsylvania battalion, under Colonel Bull, and the second New Jersey battalion, under Colonel Maxwell, be ordered to march immediately to Albany, and there put themselves under the command of General Schuyler.

And, to make up the rest of the battalions voted for the defence of Canada, that one battalion be raised in New Hampshire, one in Connecticut, and one in New York; that two battalions be formed out of the troops now in Canada.

*

Resolved, That the Convention or Committee of Safety of Maryland, be requested to order three companies of the minutemen in the service of that Colony, to march immediately from thence to the Counties of Accomack and Northampton, in Virginia,

*

* * * and to lay before Congress the accounts of their subsistence and pay, which shall be paid out of the Continental Treasury.

Resolved, That the Committee of Safety of Pennsylvania be desired to send five hundred pounds weight of powder to the Colony of Virginia.

January 9. Resolved, That the militia raised in the Counties of Orange and Ulster, in the Colony of New York, by order of the Congress, for the support of the fort lately erected on Hudson's River, be discharged.

Resolved, That a committee of three be appointed, to inquire. into the conduct of the officers who are prisoners, and the manner in which they are at present subsisted, and report thereon.

'January 10. Resolved, That another battalion be raised in New Jersey, on the same terms as the other two raised in that Colony.

Resolved, That Lord Stirling be desired to furnish Colonel Heard with three companies under his command, who are to join Colonel Heard with the minute-men by him raised, and proceed, as soon as may be, on the expedition into Queen's County, for which Colonel Heard and Colonel Waterbury were appointed.*

Resolved, That the Colony of North Carolina be supplied with one ton of powder, by the Secret Committee.

'January 15. Resolved, That a committee of five be appointed, to make an estimate of the number of cannon that may be wanted for the defence of the United Colonies.

'January 16. Resolved, That another battalion be raised in the Colony of North Carolina, in order to defeat any attempt which may be made in opposition to the measures recommended by the Continental Congress.

'January 17. The Committee appointed to prepare instructions for the officers in the recruiting service, brought in their Report, which being taken into consideration, the Congress, thereupon, came to the following Resolutions.

'Resolved, That the Colonels of the several battalions ordered to be raised, do immediately order their officers on recruiting service.

That the Colonels of the several battalions aforesaid, appoint some place or places of rendezvous, to which the recruits may be sent, and where the battalions may be quartered.

* Colonels Heard and Waterbury had been appointed, Jan. 3. The object of their expedition was, to suppress or restrain the Tories in Queen's County.

That an allowance of one dollar and a third of a dollar, per man, be made to the recruiting officers, in lieu of their expenses in recruiting, exclusive of the subsistence money allowed them.

'That the Colonels of the several battalions to be raised in Pennsylvania. be supplied with money for the recruiting service, by the Committee of Safety of said Colony, and disburse the same to the several recruiting officers; the Colonels and other officers to be accountable for what they shall receive.

That the sum of one dollar and one third of a dollar per man, be allowed to the officers of the first Pennsylvania battalion, for each man by them enlisted, who shall have passed muster.

'January 19. Resolved, That four battalions be raised in the Colony of New York, for the defence of that Colony, upon the same pay with those directed to be raised in the Colony of Pennsylvania; and that they be stationed as the commanding officer of the New York department shall think best, to garrison the several forts in that Colony, from Crown Point to the southward, and to prevent depredations upon Long Island, and to promote the safety of the whole.

'Ordered, That a copy of the foregoing Resolution be transmitted to the Council of Safety of New York; and that they be requested, with all possible expedition, to transmit to Congress the names of a number of gentlemen, at least two for each command, out of whom the Congress may elect field officers for said battalions.*

'January 24. Resolved, That a committee of seven be appointed, to consider the propriety of establishing a War-Office.

Resolved, That a committee be appointed to prepare an address to the United Colonies.

'January 25. Resolved, That the fortification at Crown Point be not repaired; and that the fortress at Ticonderoga be repaired and made defensible.

'January 26. Resolved, That a committee of three be appointed to repair to New York, to consult and advise with the Council of Safety of that Colony, and with General Lee, respecting the immediate defence of the City of New York; and that General Lee be directed to follow the determination of the said Committee thereupon.t

'January 30. Resolved, That Captain Nelson's company of riflemen now raised, * * be enlisted for the service of Canada, on the same terms as the other troops ordered for that service.

'February 2. Resolved, That Colonel Wayne be directed to

*These were the four battalions referred to in the General's letters to the Committee of New York, April 27, 30, pp. 190, 212.

† See p. 176.

quarter his battalion in and near Chester, until the farther orders of Congress, or of acommittee of Congress for that purpose appointed. 'Resolved, that a committee of three be appointed, to take an account of the prisoners, the names of the officers, and their places of residence, and report the same to Congress.*

'February 5. Resolved, That General Schuyler has proceeded in disarming such inhabitants of the County of Tryon, in the Colony of New York, as were disaffected, and providing for the future tranquillity of those parts, with fidelity, prudence, and dispatch, and at the same time with a proper temper towards that deluded people, and thereby performed a meritorious service.†

That the cheerfulness and ready assistance of those who accompanied General Schuyler in his march to the County of Tryon, and their useful services in that expedition, discovered such a patriotic spirit, that it is hoped none of them will allow their countrymen to entertain a suspicion that any ignoble motive actuated them, by requiring a pecuniary reward; especially when they were employed in suppressing a mischief in their own neighborhood.

Ordered, That General Schuyler's narrative of his march into Tryon County be published in the newspapers.

February 6. Resolved, That the sum of one dollar and onethird of a dollar, be allowed to the officers of the two first New Jersey battalions, for every recruit by them raised, and that has passed muster.

'A letter from the Committee of Reading, in Berks county, was read, mentioning the arrival of a number of prisoners, and desiring to know how they are to be supported;

'Resolved, That the same be referred to the committee appointed to contract for supplying the prisoners.*

'February 8. Resolved, That a committee of three be appointed, to contract with a proper person to supply Colonel Wayne's battalion with the rations allowed them.

Also with a proper person to supply the Pennsylvania troops on the west side of the Susquehannah, and with a proper person to supply the battalions ordered to be raised in the Counties on Delaware, while in that government.

'February 12. Resolved, That it be recommended to the Convention or Committee of Safety of New Jersey, immediately to send detachments of their minute-men equal to a battalion, under proper officers, to New York, there to be under the command of Major-General Lee:

That it be recommended to the Committee of Safety of Pennsylvania, immediately to send detachments of the four battalions of Associators in Philadelphia, to New York, there to put themselves under General Lee.

* Relating to prisoners, see pp. 121, 122, 165, 170. † The expedition mentioned p. 162.