USA > Connecticut > The public records of the State of Connecticut, from October 1776 to Ferbruary 1778, inclusive > Part 3
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Resolved by this Assembly, That there be provided in this State as soon as may be for the use of the militia thereof when called into ac- tual service the following articles of camp equipage and utensils, viz : two thousand tents, two thousand iron potts containing two gallons each, four thousand wooden bowls, and six thousand canteens or wooden bottles.
And be it further resolved, That the same be provided by the several towns in this State in manner and proportion following, to wit : that one tent, one iron pot, two wooden bowls, and three can- teens be provided for every thousand pounds of the general list of such towns respectively in the year 1775, and the selectmen of the re- spective towns in this State are hereby directed and required to pro- cure the aforesaid tents and camp utensils and them keep and have in constant readiness for the use of the militia in their respective towns when called into actual service : the cost and expence of procuring the same to be paid and born by such towns respectively.
And be it further resolved, That the selectmen of the several towns in this State shall also, at the cost of their respective towns, provide and have in constant readiness suitable boxes in which to place and secure the iron potts aforesaid for transportation, and also that they do from time to time take care to keep the canteens aforesaid tight and in good order and fit for use.
Resolved by this Assembly, That the Committee of the Pay-Table be and they are hereby authorized and directed, to adjust and allow all such reasonable sums for the inevitable losses of cloathing, blankets, arms, and accoutrements, belonging to the officers or soldiers either of the militia or new levies, or that were provided for and used by
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them, as on proper examination or certificate being produced from two of the general officers now in the army belonging to this State, or from one general officer and one colonel belonging to this State, or in such other cases when by clear proof and good evidence it may appear to said committee that the loss was not occasioned by careless- ness or cowardice in sudden flight from the enemy or contrary to the orders of the superior officer then in such party commanding they shall find due; and also all such sums as in the opinion of said com- mittee shall be found justly due on account of the cost of sickness on the road going to or returning from either of the said armies, or ocea- sioned by the cost of medicine at the army which could not be ob- tained out of the public stores.
And be it further resolved, That all the officers and soldiers of the militia who marched in obedience to orders issued by his Honor the Governor to the assistance of the army since the first of July last and shall produce a proper discharge, or that were permitted to return from the army on furlow or by reason of sickness and are not returned as deserters, shall be allowed twenty shillings each for their extraor- dinary expences at that season of the year ; and that the heirs and representatives of such as dyed in the service be entituled to the twenty shillings premium as well as such who were discharged, over and above the wages and mileage allowed by the Honble Continental Con- gress, and that the commanding officer of the regiments return the names of such persons in their respective regiments as are returned deserters from said service to the Committee of Pay-Table, to enable them to execute the trust reposed in them.
Whereas General Gates by a letter has requested a number of iron spades and iron shovels to be sent to Tyconderoga, and a quantity of flour to be sent to Skenesborough, with some shingle nails for the use of the army under his command : Therefore,
Resolved by this Assembly, That Maj' Ebenezer Gay be appointed and directed to purchase 200 spades and iron shovels and send them forthwith to General Gates at Tyconderoga for the purpose aforesaid ; and also, to purchase ten tons of wheat flour and transport the same forthwith to Skeensborough to be stored and guarded in such place and manner as General Gates shall direct; and that the Treasurer be and he is hereby directed to deliver to the said Major Gay the sum of £300, taking his receipt to account for the same ; and that Doet" John Diek- inson be and is hereby appointed and directed to employ a proper number of nail-makers forthwith to manufacture shingle nails ; and that his Honor the Governor be desired to inform General Gates thereof and request information how many will be necessary for his purpose.
We, your Honors committee appointed to take into consideration what further measures are best to be taken to provide for the com- fort and relief of the militia of this State in service and for obtaining
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as early release for them as possible, beg leave to report it as our opinion, that his Honor the Governor be desired to write to his Excel- lency General Washington, requesting him as soon as possible to dis- charge all the sick in the militia who it shall be judged incapable of further service, and likewise that he would in some way which his wisdom shall devise provide blankets and cloathing for those of the militia who have been so unfortunate as to loose them in retreating from the enemy. or permit some suitable persons on furlow to repair to the various parts of this State as may be convenient to procure those articles of the friends of those soldiers who are thus deprived of them. All which is submitted by your Honors humble servants, Signed per order, JABEZ HUNTINGTON.
In the Lower House : The above report is accepted and approved. Attest, BENJA. HUNTINGTON, Clerk. Concurrd in the Upper House. Test, GEORGE WYLLYS, Secret".
Resolved by this Assembly, That the Committee of Pay-Table draw an order upon the Treasurer for the sum of four hundred pounds in bills, in favour of Maj" Elisha Sheldon, to be by him distributed to defray the expence of the light-horse under his command now ordered to march into the State of New York, for which he is to render his account to the Pay-Table when required.
This Assembly do appoint Messrs. Wait Goodrich, Eneas Munson, Guy Richards, Abraham Beardslee, Constant Southworth, Asahel Bebee and Zebulon Butler, to be Inspectors of Gun-Powder in this State untill the first day of June next.
This Assembly do appoint Mr. Constant Southworth, Doct. Eneas Munson, Colo. Joshua Porter and Mr. Wait Goodrich to be Reinspec- tors of Saltpetre at the powder-mills in this State untill the first day of June next.
Whereas this Assembly at their sessions in June last appointed Samuel Squire etc., to purchase barrell-pork for the use of the Colony, and it being now represented to this Assembly that some persons in the county of Fairfield still retain quantities of pork that is wanted for the public service, contrary to said resolve, which makes it neces- sary that further provision be made in order to carry the same into execution : Resolved by this Assembly, that Samuel Squire of Fair- field be directed and impowered and he is hereby impowered, to seize and take any quantity of pork that is wanted for the public service from any person or persons that have refused or shall refuse to sell the same agreeable to said resolve of June, and when so seized or taken to pay the owner or owners thereof according to said resolve ; and said Squire is hereby further impowered and directed, in case of
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refusal as aforesaid, to command and take with him proper and suffi- cient assistance for that purpose, and to break open any shop or store in order for taking and seizing the same for the purpose aforesaid.
This Assembly being informed of the distressed situation of many of the militia that have been ordered to join the continental army, by reason of their being destitute of physicians and proper medicines for the siek, do appoint Doet" Samuel Gale and Doet" Jonathan Todd, as his mate, forthwith to repair to the Conneetient troops and militia in the Jerseys, and to carry with them as many medicines and refresh- ments as they conveniently can, and generally to take care of and ad- minister proper relief to any of the sick belonging to this Colony; and the Committee of the Pay-Table are ordered to draw on the Treasurer to deliver to the said Doet" Gale the sum of one hundred pounds, law- full money, to enable them to perform the business aforesaid, taking his receipt to be accountable for the expenditure thereof.
This Assembly being informed by letter from Doct" Morgan to his Honor the Governor of the necessity of some persons being appointed to take the immediate care of the hospital stores for the use of the Connecticut troops in the continental service, and also signifying that eight shillings per day would be allowed to such persons as should be thereto appointed, do now appoint Doct' Philip Turner, of Norwich, to be Physician and Surgeon for the Connecticut troops now engaged or to be engaged in the continental service and Director of the Hospi- tal Stores for said troops ; and do hereby authorize and impower the said Philip Turner to procure and receive all such medicinal stores as he may judge necessary and use the same for the benefit of said troops and to have the direction thereof. And as an inducement to the said Philip Turner to engage in the said service, it is now ordered that the said Philip Turner be allowed, in addition to the aforesaid eight shillings per day four shillings per day ; and his Honor the Governor is hereby desired to acquaint him with this appointment and direct him to prepare and with all possible expedition to repair to said troops for the execution of said trust.
Resolved by this Assembly, That the Committee of Pay-Table draw on the Treasurer, in favour of Doet' Philip Turner, for the sum of three hundred pounds, lawfull money, for the use of the hospital for the Connecticut troops, and that his Honor the Governor by advice of his Committee of Safety be impowered and directed to make such further draughts as occasion may require for the purpose aforesaid.
Whereas his Excellency William Livingston, Esq', Governor of the State of New Jersies, by his letter of the 19th of September, repre- senting that Mr. Franklin, late Governor of New Jersey, having pos- sessed himself of a chest or box containing Minutes of Council, Ex-
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aminations in Council and other papers of consequence to that State, thought proper, as there is great reason to believe, a few days before he was apprehended to secrete them, which papers they have not been able upon the most diligent search to recover ; desiring that this State would interpose and cause the said Mr. Franklin and his man Thomas, who is suspected to be privy to the concealment, to be exam- ined on oath relative to said matter, and requesting that said Thomas might be first examined before he has opportunity to consult with his said master upon the subject : Resolved therefore by this Assembly, that Mathew Talcott, Esq', and Jesse Root, Esq", be appointed and they are hereby appointed and directed, to cause Mr. Franklin's serv- ant Thomas to come before them and separately to interrogate and examine him under oath relative to the premises ; and also to cause the said Mr. Franklin to come before them after having previously examined the said servant Thomas first, and further interrogate and examine him if needfull under oath relative to the matter of said con- cealment, removal and detention of what ought to be now in the custody and possession of the Council of the said State of New Jersey, and report make.
Resolved by this Assembly, That the fire-arms to be made and purchased for the use of this State by the committee appointed for that purpose shall be of the following dimensions, viz : the length of the barrell from three feet and eight inches to three feet and ten inches, diameter of the bore from inside to inside to be so large as to carry an ounce ball in a cartridge; that the length of the blade of the bayonet be sixteen inches, length of the socket four inches, the barrell of the gun to be suitable with iron ram-rods with a spring in the lowest loop to secure the ram-rods, a good substantial bridled lock well mounted with brass and marked with the maker's name or initial letters of the maker's name, and that they shall be also marked with the letters S. C. in some conspicuous place on the bar- rell.
Upon report of the committee appointed to consider what further provision and encouragement should be made for the procuring fire- arms and gun-locks,
Resolved by this Assembly, That Capt. Robert Fairchild, Capt. Ephraim Pease, Capt. Dudley Wright, Doct" John Dickinson, Mr. Asahel Holcomb, Mr. Nathan Frink, Capt. Jabez Huntington and Capt. John Phelps, be and they are hereby appointed a committee in addition to those gentlemen heretofore appointed for procuring of fire arms and gun-locks ; and that the same powers and authority heretofore given to a former committee be and the same is hereby revived and given to said committee for the purpose of executing the aforesaid trust. And said committee are directed to exert their utinost endeavours to effect the manufacture of good fire-arms and
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locks upon the encouragement heretofore granted, and make report of their doings to the General Assembly in May next, to which time their authority shall continue.
And it is further resolved, That Mr. Elihu Clark, Majr Nathaniel Brown, Mr. Samuel Smith, Capt. Lemuel Stoughton, Mr. Isaac Doo- little, Mr. Joseph Hopkins, Mr. Samuel Noyes, Mr. John Raymond, Capt. Daniel Judson, Capt. Jabez Huntington, Mr. Elnathan Walker, Mr. Edmund Beach and Capt. Mathew Gillett, be and they are hereby severally appointed Inspectors to examine and approve of all such fire-arms and locks as shall be made within this State; and none of said arms shall be received or paid for by said committee for the use of this State or any premium allowed thereon to any manufacturer untill examination and due proof has been made of such arms by said inspector or inspectors and a proper certificate given thereof under his or their hands that the same are good, well wrought and suffi- ciently strong and substantial. And Titus Hosmer, Esq', at his own request, is hereby released from any further trouble in procuring fire- arms or locks in consequence of his appointment formerly made to that service.
Whereas the public safety makes it necessary still to continue the Cannon Foundery at Salisbury in blast for the purpose of making a sufficient quantity of eannon &c. for the public defence ; and it being represented to this Assembly that a sufficient quantity of wood can- not in the ordinary method be procured to keep the same in blast, and that there is a quantity near on land belonging to the heir of Daniel Edwards, Esq', late of Hartford, deceasd, who is a minor : Therefore, resolved by this Assembly, that Joshua Porter, Esq', who has the care of said foundery, be impowered and he is hereby im- powered, authorized and appointed, to purchase said wood of the said heir or his guardians upon reasonable terms, if they can agree; if not, to take the same withont stripping the farm of what may be neces- sary for firing and fencing, and where it may be least detrimental thereto, for the use aforesaid, and to allow and pay the just and rea- sonable valne thereof according to the apprizal of three good and indifferent freeholders of the vicinity under oath, and account render.
Whereas it is found necessary that a commissary of prisoners of war should be appointed in the several United States &c .: Resolved by this Assembly, that Mr. Epaphras Bull of Hartford be and he is hereby appointed a Commissary of Prisoners of War within this State, who shall take care and provide for all such prisoners of war as are now within this State or that hereafter may be sent to and kept within the same; and that said commissary or commissaries for the time being shall observe all such rules and orders as shall from time to time be made by the General Assembly, his Honor the Gover- nor and Committee of Safety, or Continental Congress, respecting
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such prisoners for the due ordering, governing or providing for the same, and shall make monthly returns of the state and condition of said prisoners under their care to the Board of War appointed by said Congress, and be sworn to a faithfull discharge of his said trust.
Resolved by this Assembly, That Doct's Alexander Wolcott, John Dickinson, John Watrous, Eneas Munson, Leveret Hubbard, Elias Carrington, Elisha Tracy, Benjamin Gale, Eleazer Mather, Platt Townshend, Amos Mead, James Cogswell, John Clark, Elisha Lord, Samuel Lee, Reuben Smith, Elisha Sill and Seth Bird, or any three of them, be appointed and they are hereby appointed and authorized to examine such persons within this State as may offer themselves to serve as surgeons or surgeon's mates in the continenal army or navy, and upon full evidence of proper and sufficient qualifications to give certificates accordingly.
And it is further resolved by this Assembly, That said examiners and all others who may hereafter be appointed for the same purpose shall be under oath for their faithfull performance of their trust ac- cording to their best skill and judgment, that the form of said oath shall be as follows, viz :
You A. B. being appointed to examine those persons within this State who shall offer to serve as surgeons or surgeon's mates in the con- tinental army or navy do swear by the name of the ever-living God that you will faithfully and impartially execute said trust according to your best skill and judgment and give certificates to such as you shall find duly qualifyed to serve in said offices without respect of persons or favour to any man : So help you God.
Which oath any one Assistant or justice of the peace is hereby authorized and directed on request to administer to the examiners that are or shall be appointed for the purpose aforesaid.
Resolved, That his Honor the Governor be and he is hereby de- sired to request the commanding officer of the Northern Army to order suitable provision to be made for the officers and soldiers of this State, especially for the sick on their return home as they may be discharged or dismissed from time to time at such places and stations as may be thought most needfull ; and that if it should be inconven- ient for the commanding officer through multiplicity of concerns to attend to this matter in due time his Honor the Governor and the Council of Safety are desired to make proper provision in the matter aforesaid.
This Assembly do appoint Elijah Hyde Jun", Esq', to be Major of the Second Regiment of Light Horse in this State in the room of William Hillhouse, Esq', resigned.
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Whereas it is apprehended the stores and provisions for the use of the continental army and this State now stored in the various parts along Sound in several of the towns in the westward parts of this State are by means of the near approach of the enemy in great danger : Whereupon this Assembly do appoint John Davenport, Esq", immediately to go forwards to the several places where such provisions &c. are stored and with the advice of any gentlemen acting under the Commissary General to remove them back from the sea shore to some safe place back from the water, where they shall think most proper ; to which purpose they are impowered to impress all such teams and carriages as are necessary for that purpose.
Whereas it is represented to this Assembly that there are several non-commissioned officers and soldiers of the troops of horse and mi- litia in this State who did not march according to orders issued from the Capt. General for the defence of this and the United States of America, and that there are others who deserted said service after they had joined and marched with their respective corps, all since the first day of July last: And this Assembly willing to extend their clemency to such as are yet desirous of fulfilling their duty in the ser- vice of their country,
Resolved by this Assembly, That his Honor the Governor be and he is hereby desired to issue a Proclamation* offering a pardon and indemnification to all such non-commissioned officers and soldiers who have been delinquent in manner aforesaid, provided they do immedi- ately return to their duty and join themselves to their respective companies now in service or to any of the companies in either of the regiments now ordered to march under the command of Majr General Wooster in the defence of this and other the united States; and also to declare that such as shall so return and fulfill their duty untill duly discharged, shall receive their pay and wages for the time they did and shall continue in said service, and that his Honor the Governor do also order and direct that due process be had forthwith against all such as shall still refuse to comply with their duty as aforesaid ; which proclamation his Honor is desired to cause to be published in the several news-papers within this State.
Whereas the third and part of the first regiments of light-horse have been ordered by this Assembly to march to the western part of this State under the command of Majr General Wooster who will be under necessity of some advance wages : Resolved by this Assembly, that twenty shillings be advanced to each one that shall so march, and General Wooster is hereby directed and impowered to draw on the Pay-Table for a sufficient sum for that purpose and pay out the same and render his account accordingly.
* This proclamation is in Rer. War, iv, 333, and printed in _1m. Archirex, 5th, ii, 1225.
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Resolved by this Assembly, That a Hospital shall be provided and maintained by this State for the reception and relief of such soldiers from this State as shall serve in the continental army and such of the militia from this State as may from time [to time] join said army during the present war ; that said hospital shall be under the direc- tion of a chief surgeon or director appointed by this State, and shall be furnished with skilfull surgeons, medicines and other neces- saries ; that the director or chief surgeon shall have the custody of the stores of medicines and other refreshments from time to time for the use and relief of the sick, who shall issue the same to the regimental surgeons as the necessities of their respective regiments may require.
And be it further resolved, That his Honor the Governor and his Council of Safety be authorized and directed with the advice of his Excellency the General, to provide such hospital, appoint surgeons and other proper officers, give orders for procuring proper medicines and refreshments and regulate the issuing the same from said hospital as they shall judge most likely to answer the good ends intended to to be obtained by this resolve.
And be it further resolved, That four hundred bed saeks, four hun- dred shirts, and four hundred blankets and eight hundred sheets, be immediately procured for the use of the sick in said hospital, which shall be delivered to the chief surgeon taking his receipt to be account- able for the same.
Resolved by this Assembly, That Roger Sherman, Abraham Daven- port, Thaddeus Burr and John Davenport, Esq's, or any three of them, be and they are hereby appointed a committee to repair to the army under the command of General Washington and with the advice and assistance of the general officers belonging to this State now in said army to arrange into regiments and companies the officers appointed by this Assembly for the battalions to be raised in this State and number their commissions according to their proper rank in the army.
This Assembly taking into consideration the exposedness of the sea-port towns in the Colony by reason of the enemys coming into the sound and on our coast, and the danger of a surprize unless proper methods be taken to prevent it,
It is now resolved, That his Honor the Governor be desired and he is hereby desired forthwith to issue forth his orders to the chief com- manders present of the second, third, fourth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth and twentieth regiments of militia, to take especial care that the officers and soldiers belonging to said regiments are well equipped with arms and ammunition, and that they have suitable posts assigned them to repair to in case of an alarm, and that all necessary instruc- tions be given to the captains and subalterns under their command, that the soldiers be thoroughly acquainted with the same, and that
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they take especial care to prevent being surprized unawares. And in case of the landing of an enemy in any of the towns on the sound or on the sea coast they are to give speedy notice thereof to the adjoining towns and to collect all the force they can and to use all possible means to repel and drive off the enemy, and from time to time ac- quaint his Honor the Governor of their proceedings.
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