plan for the better conducting the executive business of Congress, by Boards composed of persons, not members of Congress.

December 27. Sundry letters were read, viz., one, of the 23d, from R. Morris; one, of the 3d, from General Schuyler, at Saratoga; one, of the 5th, from Jonathan Trumbull; one, of the 25th November, from Joseph Trumbull;

'The Committee on the state of the army, brought in their Report, which was taken into consideration; whereupon,

'Resolved, That a brigadier-general of artillery be appointed; and, the ballots being taken,

'Colonel Henry Knox was elected.

'Resolved, That General Washington be empowered to use every endeavor, by giving bounties and otherwise, to prevail upon the troops, whose term of enlistment will expire at the end of this month, to stay with the army so long after that period, as its situation shall render their stay necessary:

'That the new levies in Virginia, Maryland, the Delaware State, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, be ordered to march by companies, and parts of companies, as fast as they shall be raised, and join the army under General Washington, with the utmost despatch:

That the foregoing Resolution be transmitted by the President to the Executive powers of the States before mentioned, who are requested to carry it into execution:

That General Washington be empowered to appoint a Commissary of Prisoners, and a Clothier-General for supplying the army; to fix their salaries, and return their names to Congress :

That General Washington be requested to fix upon that system of promotion in the Continental army, which, in his opinion, and that of the general officers with him, will produce the most general satisfaction; that it be suggested to him, whether a promotion of field-officers in the Colonial line, and of captains and subalterns in the regimental line, would not be the most proper:

'That Congress approve of General Washington's directing the Quartermaster-General to provide teams for each regiment, and for other necessary purposes:

That the 2d and 7th Virginia regiments, with all the convalescents from the other corps left in that State, and now fit for duty, be ordered to march and join the army under General Washington, with the utmost despatch, leaving the arms that they have at present, with the Governor and Council of that State, as they will be provided with others at the Head of Elk:

That three regiments, upon the new establishment, in North Carolina, be ordered to march immediately to join General Washington:

That the State of Virginia be empowered to call into service, at the Continental expense, three regiments of militia, or minutemen, if such a measure shall, by that State, be judged necessary.

The unjust, but determined purpose of the British Court, to enslave these free States, obvious through every delusive insinua. tion to the contrary, having placed things in such a situation, that the very existence of civil liberty now depends on the right execu tion of military powers, and the vigorous, decisive conduct of these, being impossible to distant, numerous, and deliberative bodies:

This Congress, having maturely considered the present crisis; and having perfect reliance on the wisdom, vigor, and uprightness of General Washington, do, hereby,

'Resolve, That General Washington shall be, and he is hereby, vested with full, ample, and complete powers to raise and collect together, in the most speedy and effectual manner, from any or all of these United States, sixteen battalions of infantry, in addition to those already voted by Congress; to appoint officers for the said battalions of infantry; to raise, officer, and equip three thousand light-horse, three regiments of artillery, and a corps of engineers, and to establish their pay; to apply to any of the States for such aid of the militia as he shall judge necessary; to form such magazines of provisions, and in such places, as he shall think proper; to displace and appoint all officers under the rank of brigadier-general, and to fill up all vacancies in every other department in the American armies; to take, wherever he may be, whatever he may want for the use of the army, if the inhabitants will not sell it, allowing a reasonable price for the same; to arrest and confine persons who refuse to take the Continental currency, or are otherwise disaffected to the American cause; and return to the States, of which they are citizens, their names, and the nature of their offences, together with the witnesses to prove them :

'That the foregoing powers be vested in General Washington, for and during the term of six months from the date hereof, unless sooner determined by Congress.'

SECRET JOURNAL, December 27. Resolved, That the Committee of Congress at Philadelphia be desired to contract with proper persons for erecting at Carlisle, in Pennsylvania, a magazine sufficient to contain ten thousand stand of arms, and two hundred tons of gunpowder; and also for erecting an elaboratory adjacent to such magazine:

That the Council of Massachusetts-Bay be desired to contract with proper persons for erecting, in the town of Brookfield in that State, a magazine sufficient to contain ten thousand stand of arms, and two hundred tons of gunpowder, and also for erecting an elaboratory adjacent to such magazine.'

PUBLIC JOURNAL, December 28. Resolved, That a committee of three be appointed to prepare a circular letter to the several

United States, explaining the reasons which induced Congress to enlarge the powers of General Washington, and requesting them to cooperate with him, and give him all the aid in their power.

December 30. 'The Committee appointed to prepare a circular letter to the several States, reported a draught, which was read, amended, and agreed to:

'Ordered, That copies be made, signed by the President, and transmitted to each of the United States.

December 31. Resolved, That General Smallwood be directed to exert his utmost endeavors, and give the necessary orders and instructions to expedite the raising the levies in the State of Maryland; and that it be earnestly recommended to the Legislature and Council of Safety, the several Committees of Observation, the civil, military and militia officers of said State, and every friend of liberty and the United States, to give General Smallwood every assistance in their power.

'Resolved, That a letter be written to General Washington, desiring him to order the Clothier-General to send agents into each State, to buy up linens and other clothing proper for the soldiery; and that he give similar orders to the QuartermasterGeneral to pursue the same mode for procuring a sufficient quantity of tent-cloth; and that they be severally directed to apply to the States to afford all necessary assistance therein. And whereas, great expense hath heretofore arisen from public agents trading against each other, the General is desired to caution the ClothierGeneral and Quartermaster-General, that their agents aforesaid, fall not into the above mistake in time to come.'

GENERAL WASHINGTON to the PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS. NEWTOWN, 29 December, 1776. 'SIR, I am just setting out to attempt a second passage over the Delaware, with the troops that were with me on the morning of the 26th. I am determined to effect it if possible; but I know that it will be attended with much fatigue and difficulty on account of the ice, which will neither allow us to cross on foot, nor give us an easy passage with boats. General Cadwallader crossed from Bristol on the 27th, and, by his letter of yesterday, was at Bordentown with about eighteen hundred men. In addition to these, General Mifflin sent over five hundred from Philadelphia on Friday, three-hundred yesterday evening from Burlington, and will follow to-day with seven or eight hundred more. I have taken every precaution in my power for subsisting the troops, and shall, without loss of time, and as soon as circumstances will admit of it, pursue the enemy in their retreat, try to beat up more of their quarters, and, in a word, adopt in every instance, such measures, as the exigency of our affairs requires, and our situation will justify.

་

'Since transmitting the list of prisoners, a few more have been discovered and taken in Trenton; among them a lieutenant-colonel, and a deputy-adjutant general, the whole amounting to about a thousand.

'I have been honored with your letter of the 23d, and its several enclosures, to which I shall pay due attention. A flag goes in this morning with a letter to General Howe, and another to General Lee. For the latter, Mr. Robert Morris has transmitted a bill of exchange drawn by two British officers, for a hundred and sixteen pounds, nine shillings, and three pence, on Major Small.

This supply is exclusive of the sum you have resolved to be sent to him, and which Mr. Morris will procure in time.

Lond. ed. vol. i. p. 363.

'I have the honor to be, &c.'

ROBERT MORRIS to GENERAL WASHINGTON.

PHILADELPHIA, 30 December, 1776. 'SIR, I have just received your favor of this day, and sent to General Putnam to detain the express, until I collect the hard money you want, which you may depend shall be sent in one specie or other with this letter, and a list thereof shall be enclosed herein.

'I had long since parted with very considerable sums of hard money to Congress; and therefore must collect from others, and, as matters now stand, it is no easy thing. I mean to borrow silver, and promise payment in gold, and will then collect the gold in the best manner I can. Whilst on this subject, let me inform you that there is upwards of twenty thousand dollars in silver at Ticonderoga. They have no particular use for it, and I think you might as well send a party to bring it away, and lodge it in a safe place, convenient for any purposes for which it may hereafter be wanted. Whatever I can do, shall be done for the good of the service. I am, dear Sir, &c. ROBERT MOrris.' Wash. Writ. Sparks, vol. iv. p. 545.

GENERAL WASHINGTON to the OFFICER COMMANDING AT

MORRISTOWN.t

HEAD-QUARTERS, TRENTON, 30 December, 1776. 'SIR, I have the pleasure to acquaint you, that the Continental regiments from the Eastern governments have agreed to

Chief Justice Marshall says, in a note, p. 130 of his vol. i., before cited,'In this critical moment, when correct intelligence was so all-important, Mr. Robert Morris raised on his private credit in Philadelphia, five hundred pounds in specie, which he transmitted to the Commander-in-Chief, who employed it in procuring information not otherwise to have been obtained.'

† Commanding those troops ordered to halt at Morristown, as stated in letter, Dec. 20, p. 372.

stay six weeks beyond their time of enlistment, which was to have expired the last day of this month. For this extraordinary mark of their attachment to their country, I have agreed to give them a bounty of ten dollars per man, besides their pay running on. I hope this noble example will be followed by the four regiments under your command. Promise them the same reward, and endeavor to work upon them by every means in your power. Let them know the militia are pouring in from all quarters, and only want veteran troops to lead them on. Since our success at this place, on the 26th, the enemy have evacuated all the country below; they went off in the greatest hurry and confusion. I beg you will collect all the men you possibly can about Chatham, and, after gaining the proper intelligence, endeavor to strike a stroke upon Elizabethtown, or that neighborhood; at any rate, be ready to coöperate with me. Let me hear what success you have with your troops, as soon as possible. I am, Sir, &c.'

Ibid. p. 253.

SAME to ROBERT MORRIS, GEORGE CLYMER, and GEORGE WALTON, a Committee of Congress.

HEAD-QUARTERS, TRENTON, 1 January, 1777. 'GENTLEMEN,- The messenger delivered me the two parcels of hard money, which I suppose will turn out agreeably to the list, not having had time to count it. The sum that is lodged at Ticonderoga shall be ordered down, provided the Commander in the Northern Department finds no better use for it there, than I can make of it here.

'The accounts you give me of the good effects, that are likely to flow from our success at Trenton, add not a little to the satisfaction I have felt on that occasion. You are pleased to pay me many personal compliments, as if the merit of that affair was due solely to me; but I assure you, the other general officers, who assisted me in the plan and execution, have full as good a right to your encomiums as myself. We are devising such measures, as I hope, if they succeed, will add as much or more to the distress of the enemy, than their defeat at Trenton; and I promise myself the greatest advantages, from having engaged a number of the Eastern troops to stay six weeks beyond their time of enlistment, upon giving a bounty of ten dollars. I thought it

no time to stand upon trifles, when a body of firm troops, inured to danger, was absolutely necessary to lead on the more raw and undisciplined. I shall know this day how many of Colonel Glover's regiment are willing to continue in the land service. I do not expect many will be prevailed upon to stay, and I will endeavor to procure the rest for the purpose of fitting out the frigates upon

the best terms I can.

* Resolves respecting their appointment, &c., p. 387.