490

THIRD PROVINCIAL CONGRESS.

[July #,

Ordered, That Doct. Taylor, Mr. Phillips, and Major Fuller, be a committee to enlarge the commission of the committee of safety.

A letter from the committee of safety, requesting this Congress to appoint a special committee to make provision for the poor of Boston and Charlestown, was read. The matter, after debate, was ordered to subside.

The report of the committee for devising means of raising a temporary reenforcement, was taken into consideration, and after much debate was recommitted; and Col. Palmer, and Mr. Phillips, were added to the committee.

The committee appointed to examine the fifteen prisoners, sent to the Congress by the committee of safety, reported, verbally, facts as they found them: whereupon, Ordered, that Jonathan Winship, and Jacob Whipple, two of the prisoners, be discharged immediately; that Jacob Davis, another of the prisoners, be sent to the main guard at Cambridge, the Congress having great reason to suspect, that he enlisted in, and deserted from the army raised by this colony, and that the officers of the guard be certified, in writing, of what crime the said Jacob now stands charged; that John Freeman, a negro man, said to be the servant of Mr. Joseph Howett of Newburyport, be sent to the jail at Cambridge, there to continue till further orders; that the other prisoners, with the said Jacob and John, be committed to Capt. Crafts, to be kept under guard, until further orders.

Ordered, That Capt. Brown cause suitable provision to be made for the said prisoners.

Ordered, That Mr. Learned be directed to charge the expense of keeping Mr. Lightly, and the guard that attend him, to this colony.

Ordered, That Major Fuller, Mr. Kollock, and Mr. Crane, be a committee to consider what is a proper establishment of salt for the army, and report.

The committee appointed to consider a letter from Capt. James Noble to Walter Spooner, Esq., reported a resolve, and a letter, which were accepted, and are as follow, viz.: Resolved, that Henry Gardner, Esq., receiver general, be, and he is hereby ordered to pay to Capt. James Noble, or order, £100, as part of his pay roll, as captain in Col. Benedict Arnold's regiment, in the late expedition against the posts of Ticonderoga and Crown point, for the use of said company.

SIR: We received yours of the 3d instant, by Mr. William Barber, together with your account of expenses, and a muster roll of your company, whilst in the service of this colony, under the command of

Col. Benedict Arnold, but before your account can be passed with propriety, it must be examined, and adjusted by indifferent persons. Therefore, it is Ordered, that the committee of correspondence for the town of Pittsfield, be a committee for that purpose; and it is further Ordered, that you make oath to the truth and justness of your muster roll, and see that the same be right cast; then charge yourself with the £27 7s. 1d., which you received of Col. Arnold, as advance pay for your company; also with the £100 now sent you by Mr. Barber, agreeably to your order; then return said roll and account, and when you comply with the above, you will receive the balance due. To Capt. James Noble.

Lieut. Zachariah Gurney having conducted fifteen persons who were taken at Long Island, to this Congress, and the Congress having ordered eleven of them, under a guard of this town, and dismissed the other two, the said Gurney is discharged from further attendance.

The report of the committee on Mr. John Gill's account was taken up, and accepted, and is as follows, viz. :

The committee on the account of John Gill, beg leave to report by way of resolve, as follows: Resolved, that the receiver general be, and he is hereby directed, to pay to the within named John Gill, the sum of £6 17s 8d, in full, of his services on several journeys, horse hire, expenses, &c.

The committee appointed to devise means for raising a temporary reenforcement, again reported. The report was amended, accepted, and is as follows, viz.: Whereas, a speedy augmentation of the army is wanted, and has been requested by the general, to serve as a temporary reenforcement until the new levies now raising to fill up the regiments in the field, can come in, and until they shall be discharged by the general of the army, or the assembly of this colony, therefore, Resolved, that it be, and hereby is most earnestly recommended to the inhabitants of town, that they immediately raise and send to the camp at Cambridge, men, provided with a good fire-lock, ammunition, and a blanket, each, who shall be detained not longer than one month, at farthest, from the beginning of their march, and shall be honorably paid for their service by the colony, all due regard being had to the present urgency of farming business, and the inconvenience of complying with such a requisition at this juncture. And the military officers, selectmen, and committees of correspondence, are desired to see this resolve executed without delay, and that they be paid according to the following establishment :

N. B. The above is copied from the original report on file, which has been altered and still appears to be incorrect. The following is a copy of the printed one on file:

To the military officers, selectmen, and committees of correspondence in the town of

Gentlemen-You are hereby most earnestly requested to procure the execution of the subsequent resolve, with the greatest possible expedition.

,

that

able

In Provincial Congress, Watertown, July 12, 1775. Whereas a very speedy augmentation of the army is indispensably necessary, and has been requested by his excellency General Washington, to serve as a temporary reenforcement until the new levies now raising to fill up the regiments in the field may be completed: Therefore, Resolved, that it be, and it is hereby most earnestly recommended to the commanding officer of every company in the town of they immediately raise, and send to the camp at Cambridge, bodied men, each provided with a good fire-lock, ammunition, and blanket, who shall be detained not longer than one month, at farthest, from the beginning of their march, and be paid honorably for their service; all due regard in the pay being had to the difficulty of complying with this requisition in the present urgency of the business of husbandry. Those who are required from together with others who are called from will form one company, under the command of such officers as the field officers of that regiment from which the greatest number of said company is taken, shall appoint. And the field officers above mentioned, or the major part of them, are desired accordingly, without delay, to appoint one captain, and two lieutenants, of persons who now are, or have been in command, well calculated to serve the public in these departments. By order of Congress.

A true copy. Attest.

Resolved, That the resolve passed this forenoon, recommending to all able bodied men, who have left their sea-port towns to return, be reconsidered.

Adjourned to eight o'clock, to-morrow morning.

THURSDAY, JULY 13, 1775.

A letter from General Washington's secretary, dated nine o'clock, P. M., July 12, 1775, was read; whereupon, Resolved, that the re

solve passed yesterday, for raising a temporary reenforcement, be reconsidered.1

A petition from the selectmen and committee of Harpswell, was read, and committed to Mr. Johnson, Mr. Perry, and Deacon Baker. The instructions reported to be given Capt. Davis, were considered, and, after debate, the report was ordered to be dismissed.

Ordered, That Capt. Stone, Capt. Baker, and Mr. Learned, be a committee to consider what towns the ten prisoners now under guard in this town, shall be sent to.

Ordered, That Michael Edwards, now under guard in this town, be immediately discharged.

Ordered, That Mr. Phillips, Col. Farley, and Mr. Kollock, be a committee to examine and consider an account of Mr. Solomon Lothrop, [for the entertainment of General Washington.]

Ordered, That Col. Lincoln, Col. Porter, and Mr. Perry, be a committee to consider some method of supplying the recruiting officers with money for the purpose.

[The committee reported the following resolve, which was accepted, viz. :]

Resolved, That the committee of safety be, and they hereby are empowered and directed, to give orders on the receiver general in favor of such officer or officers as are, or shall be appointed as recruiting officers, not exceeding the sum of four pounds to any one of them, and take their receipts for the sum they shall order to them respectively, which sum is to be deducted from their wages on the rolls being made up, unless otherwise ordered by a house of representatives of this colony; and the receiver general is hereby directed to pay said order accordingly.

Resolved, That the resolve passed yesterday, directing the receiver general to pay Capt. James Noble, or order, the sum of one hundred pounds, be reconsidered, and that a resolve be drawn by Capt. Stone, (1) The following is the letter mentioned in the text:

HEAD QUARTERS, CAMBRIDGE, JULY 12, 1775.

"SIR:-Upon a conference with the other generals respecting the militia, it has been concluded, that one thousand men to be stationed in and about Medford, will be sufficient for the present service."

"His excellency has also directed me to request of the Congress, in his name, that they would urge the committees in the several towns, to forward and promote the new levies as much as possible, and that they would exert themselves to send to the camp, such soldiers as have staid beyond their furloughs, or have left the service, and may be returned to their former homes.

“I am sir, with much respect, Your most obedient humble servant,

JOS. REED, Secretary."

directing the said receiver general, to pay Mr. William Barber, the said sum of one hundred pounds, for the use of Capt. Noble.

Resolved, That Capt. Stone be appointed to the office of president of this Congress in the absence of Col. Warren.

Capt. Stone, agreeably to his request, being excused from the office of president :

Resolved, That Col. Benjamin Lincoln be appointed to officiate as president of this Congress in the absence of the Hon. James Warren, Esq.

The committee appointed to consider the petition of the selectmen and committee of safety of the district of Harpswell,1 reported, that the consideration of said petition be referred to the general assembly. The report was accepted.

Resolved, That Lieut. Zachariah Gurney be, and he hereby is directed, to take into his custody John Davis, and John Freeman a negro man, and convey them to Cambridge, and deliver them according to the resolves of this Congress respecting them; copies of which are to be delivered him, together with this resolve.

Capt. Stone, agreeably to the direction this day of Congress, brought in the following resolve, which was accepted:

(1)" To the honorable the Provincial Congress of Massachusetts Bay, convened at Watertown, July -, 1775."

"The petition of the selectmen and committee of safety, at the desire, and in behalf of the inhabitants of the district of Harpswell, humbly sheweth; that your petitioners have, at all times, exerted themselves in prosecuting those measures recommended by the Continental and Provincial Congresses; that it is their fixed determination to continue thus to do; that some of said inhabitants cheerfully enlisted for the public safety, and to ward off that despotic and arbitrary power with which administration is aiming to govern the colonies; that said district, on the account of its situation, being an isthmus, or neck of land, about ten miles in length, with many adjacent islands, navigable on each side, upwards of seven miles for ships of the navy, and abounding with cattle, sheep, &c., is peculiarly exposed to the ravages of the British troops; that the inhabitants of said district, did, at their own cost, station guards every night, at sundry places most exposed, lest the troops should be benefited by their provision; that the enlisted men were, upon the 20th of June last, put upon duty by order of their superior officers, to guard said district from the plundering of troops which were daily expected with cutters, &c.; that the inhabitants of said district are in low circumstances, and are unable to enlist any more men, unless their husbandry employment greatly suffers, which must be an additional distress to that which they already feel; that, should the men already enlisted be called away to join the army, said district is liable to fall an easy prey to the ravages of troops which may attack it for fresh provisions. Your petitioners therefore, humbly pray, that this honorable Congress in their great wisdom, would allow said district the number of men already enlisted, with such additional number, as the Congress may judge proper; and your petitioners, as in duty bound, shall ever pray."