The following table shows the number of troops then on a footing similar to that of the four New York battalions, all raised in pursuance of special Resolves of Congress. The rates of pay, kinds of service, principles of regulation, and the principle of command, of those thirty seven battalions and two companies, were somewhat indicated not only by the several Resolves for raising them, but by many others; the former of which are referred to in the table, a portion of the latter, in a note, p. 217. In relation to these matters, see also pp. 220, 221, 222, 223. In New Jersey, New York, South Carolina, Georgia, North Carolina, Delaware, 66 Virginia, "28, Pennsylvania, Jan. 4, New Jersey North Carolina, New York, Virginia, March 19, 209 1 Company,* 117 3 Battalions, 2,184 South Carolina, 66 1 Batt'n. Cavalry, 500 7,897 North Carolina, 4,368 In the whole Southern Department, 220 728 221 728 16,633, at 68 dollars. Virginia will be well defended. So will New York. So will South Carolina. America will, ere long, raise her voice aloud and assume a bolder air.' March 29th. We are taking precautions to defend every place that is in danger, the Carolinas, Virginia, New York, Canada.' April 14th. You ask, what sort of defence Virginia can make? I believe they will make an able defence. Their militia and minute-men have been some time employed in training themselves, and they have nine battalions of regulars, as they * Augmented May 18. p. 221. call them, maintained among them, under good officers, at the Continental expense. They have set up a number of manufac tories of fire-arms, which are busily employed. They are tolerably supplied with powder, and are successful and assiduous in making saltpetre. Their neighboring sister, or rather daughter, Colony of North Carolina, which is a warlike Colony, and has several battalions at the Continental expense, as well as a pretty good militia, are ready to assist them, and they are in very good spirits, and seem determined to make a brave resistance.' Letters of J. Adams, vol. i. pp. 91, 92, 94. This is deemed one of the several occasions which occur, especially in this Number, to interrupt chronological arrangement, in order to give a sufficiently extended and connected view of records having in common some interesting purport and tendency. IN CONGRESS. 'May 7. Resolved, That another battalion raised in North Carolina, in addition to the five battalions already ordered for the defence of that Colony, be taken into the pay and service of the United Colonies. 'May 14, 1776. Resolved, That the five battalions, now in Massachusetts Bay, be recruited to their full complements, and that three additional battalions be raised in the Eastern Department, for the service of the Continent, the recruits to be taken into Continental pay, so soon as they shall be armed and mustered. Resolved, 'That one battalion be raised in New Hampshire, for the service of the United Colonies, and paid and subsisted on the same terms as the Continental troops in the Eastern Department; the said battalion to be taken into Continental pay, so soon as they shall be armed and mustered. May 16. Resolved, That two of the additional battalions, ordered on the 14th to be raised in the Eastern Department, be raised, one in Massachusetts Bay and the other in Connecticut: 'Resolved, That it be recommended to the General Assemblies of Massachusetts Bay and Connecticut, to endeavor to have the battalions enlisted for two years, unless sooner discharged by Congress; in which case, the men to be allowed one month's pay on their discharge; but, if the men cannot be prevailed on to enlist for two years, that they be enlisted for one; and that they be ordered, as soon as raised and armed, to march immediately to Boston. 'May 18. Resolved, That, as the Colony of Virginia is intersected with many navigable rivers, six galleys be built for the protection of the troops, in their transportation across the said rivers, at the Continental expense, on as cheap terms as the business for which they are intended will admit of; that such other defence of the rivers and bays, as shall be requisite for the Colony, be at the particular charge thereof: And, that General Lee, or the Commanding officer in Virginia, transmit to Congress, as early as ་ ་ ་ ་་་ ་ ་་ #、, possible, an account of the expense which shall be incurred in consequence of this Resolution. That General Lee, or the commanding officer in Virginia, be directed to set on foot the raising of two companies of carpenters, to consist of house and ship builders : * 'That General Lee be permitted to order rations and forage for such volunteers of horse, not exceeding five hundred, as shall think proper to attend the service of their country in the Continental army, agreeable to General Lee's request and proposal: That the scheme of adding two subalterns and forty privates to the company of artillery, be adopted. 'Resolved, That it be recommended to the Convention of Virginia, to raise a battalion of riflemen, on the same terms as the other battalions raised in that Colony; to be taken into the pay of the Continent, when armed and mustered. 'June 17. Resolved, That it be recommended to the Governor and Assembly of Connecticut, to send the two battalions mentioned in the said letter as raised, one for Boston, and one for New York, into Canada forthwith, as proposed in the said letter; and that a battalion of militia be sent to Boston, instead of the one intended for that place: That blank commissions be sent to Governor Trumbull, for the officers of the battalion intended for New York; the present exigency requiring this measure, the same not to be drawn into precedent. 'June 18. Whereas the Congress, on the 4th day of November last, Resolved, that for the defence of South Carolina, there be kept up in that Colony, at the Continental expense, three battalions of foot; each battalion to consist of the same number of men and officers, to be upon the same pay, and under the same regulations as the Continental army; and on the 25th day of March last, resolved that the Convention or Council of Safety of South Carolina be permitted to raise and embody two other battalions, and that they be on the pay and at the expense of the Continent, as soon as they shall be armed and fit for service, and accordingly mustered; and whereas the Convention of South Carolina, on the 22d day of February last, ordered that their Council of Safety return the thanks of that Colony to the Congress for their attention to its security; that they state the peculiar circumstances and the heavy expenses which have been and will be incurred by that Colony in the measures necessary for its defence, and that they request the Congress to allow that Colony so much money as the expenses of three battalions, upon the Continental establishment, would amount to for one year, and to give Continental rank to the officers of the three regiments raised in June, and of the regiment of artillery raised in November, from the * Not included in the foregoing table. dates of their respective commissions, or at least from the fourth day of November, when they resolved to allow that Colony three battalions; and whereas, the delegates from that Colony in Congress have represented the peculiar circumstances and heavy expenses of that Colony; and that the troops raised in it were enlisted for three years, upon a different establishment of pay, and under dif ferent articles of war, so as to render it inconvenient to place them, in all respects, upon the Continental establishment; therefore, 'Resolved, That the battalion of artillery, and the two battalions of foot, raised in South Carolina, and kept up in that Colony for the defence of the same, be considered as Continental forces, and allowed the same pay, rations, and disbursements as other forces on the Continental establishment: That the two battalions under the command of Colonels Gadsden and Moultrie, be allowed all the advantages of the Continental establishment, from the 4th of November last, and the regiment of artillery, from the time when the same was ordered to be raised by the Convention of South Carolina : That the two battalions of riflemen, raised in and for the defence of the said Colony, be considered as Continental troops from the 25th day of March last, and be entitled to all the advantages of the same: That all the above-mentioned troops be liable to the articles for the government of the forces in the said Colony: That the said forces be continued on the Continental establishment until the expiration of their enlistment, unless they shall be sooner disbanded by Congress: "That not more than one-third of the effective men of the above-mentioned forces be ordered out of the said Colony, without the express order of Congress, or the consent of the President of that Colony.* July 5. Resolved, That, for the defence of Georgia, there be an addition of two battalions, (one of them to consist of riflemen,) to be raised on the same terms on which other Continental battalions are now ordered to be raised : 'That blank commissions for the field-officers be sent to the Convention of Georgia, to be filled up with the names of such persons as the said Convention shall judge proper: 6 That four galleys be built at the expense of the United States, under the direction of the Convention of Georgia, for the farther defence of the said State. And whereas the delegates of Georgia have represented the necessity of erecting two forts, one at Savannah, and the other at Sunbury: 'Resolved, That two companies of artillery be raised, consisting of fifty men each, officers included, for the purpose of garrisoning *Here may be observed the change of name by the Declaration of Independence. such forts, in case they shall be erected by and at the expense of Georgia; and that blank commissions be delivered to the delegates for the officers, to be filled up by the Assembly or Convention of the said State. July 18. Resolved, That the Convention of Pennsylvania be informed, that the Congress have agreed to the raising of a battalion in the counties of Westmoreland and Bedford, for the defence of the western frontiers, and that they be requested immediately to recommend proper persons to Congress for field-officers for said battalion. 'July 24. Resolved, That the regiment of rangers, now in the pay of the State of South Carolina, be placed upon Continental establishment: 'That the said rangers be liable to act on horseback, or foot, as occasion may require : 'That the like number of rangers be raised in the State of Georgia, and put upon Continental establishment: That these be entitled to the same pay, and subject to the same duties, as the Carolina rangers : 'That the rangers raised in the State of South Carolina, be subject to the articles formed by the Convention of that State, for the government of the forces raised therein. 'July 31. The committee appointed to take into consideration the state of North Carolina, brought in their Report; whereupon 'Resolved, That the three independent companies of rangers, in that State, be taken upon the Continental pay and establishment, and that their pay and appointment be as already resolved by the Convention of that State, and that they rank as the rangers raised in South Carolina and Georgia.' GENERAL WASHINGTON to GOVERNOR TRUMBULL. NEW YORK, 26 April, 1776. 'SIR, When you did me the honor of a visit at Norwich, on my way to this place, I communicated to you the recommendation I had received from Congress for sending four battalions from hence to reinforce the troops in Canada. I now beg leave to inform you, that, in compliance therewith, on Saturday and Sunday last, I detached four regiments thither, under the command of Brigadier General Thompson; and, by an express received last night, I am ordered by Congress, in addition to those already gone, to send six more immediately. Our regiments being incomplete and much wanting in numbers, I need not add, that the army here felt a sensible diminution by this detachment; and, when the second is gone, it will be weak indeed, considering the importance of this place, and the many extensive posts which must be guarded for its defence. Added to this, almost the whole of our valuable ordnance, stores, and magazines will be deposited here. For these reasons, it |