Commissions of all the Captains and Subal-terns of the Twelfth Battalion of Foot to be dated the 1st of October

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In Council of Safety, October 14,1776.

Present: David Rittenhouse, Vice President, Samuel Morris, Sen˙, Joseph Blewer, Francis Gurney, George Gray, Samuel C˙ Morris, Frederick Kuhl, Henry Keppele, Jun˙, John Bayard, John Bull.

Mr˙ Robert Towers was directed to deliver Daniel King fifty pounds of Copper, for the use of the Salt Works.

Mr˙ Nesbitt was directed to pay Dr˙ Dunlap £15 9s˙ 3d˙, for Medicines purchased for the use of the Fleet.

An Order was drawn on Mr˙ Nesbitt, in favour of Captain William Brown, for £100, on account of inlisting men for the Floating Battery; to be charged to his Account.

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An Order was drawn on Mr˙ Nesbitt, in favour of Lewis Nicola, for £100; to be charged to his Account Mr˙ Towers was directed to deliver Lewis Nicola ten Wheelbarrows and ten Shovels, for the use of the Barracks.

Joseph Ferree, Esquire, at Germantown, was directed to deliver Doct˙ Harris one ton of Saltpetre, taking his receipt.

Resolved, That the Commissions of all the Captains and Subalterns of the Twelfth Battalion of Foot, to be raised in this State for the Continental service, shall be dated the 1st of October, 1776, and their rank hereafter settled.

Resolved, That John Brady and John Harris be appointed Captains, and Christopher Gettig First Lieutenant, in the Twelfth Battalion of Foot, to be raised in this State for Continental service, &c˙.

Commissions were delivered them dated 1st October.

Resolved, That Francis Allison be appointed Surgeon of the Twelfth Battalion, to be raised in this State for the Continental service.

Mr˙ Nesbitt was directed to pay Jeremiah Baker £138 4s˙ 10d˙, for Wood, &c˙, delivered at the Barracks for Continental Troops stationed there; to be charged to Congress.

Mr˙ Nesbitt was directed to pay to Edmund Beach, for pine Boards, for the use of the Convention, £11 0s˙ 6 1/2 d˙, for Armed Boat.

Resolved, That a number of the publick Arms be delivered to the Commanding Officers of the several Battalions of the City and Liberties of Philadelphia, upon their application to this Council; and that the Captains of each Company be directed to enter in a book the names of the Associators who receive any of the publick Arms, and place the number or other mark of each Musket opposite to his name.

Resolved, That the several Colonels of the Associators in this State, do, as soon as possible, make return to the Council of Safety of the number of Arms and Accoutrements in their respective Battalions, that this Board may take proper measures to supply their deficiencies.

The Council adjourned to two o' clock afternoon, when the following Members met: Thomas Wharton, Jun˙, President, David Rittenhouse, Vice President, John Bayard, Samuel Morris, Sen˙, Frederick Kuhl, T˙ Matlack, James Cannon, George Gray, Joseph Blewer, Samuel C˙ Morris, Owen Biddle

Resolved, That Major Proctor be empowered to exchange two hundred Arms, now in his possession, for the like number of light Arms belonging to Congress.

The Council having received from Congress a copy of letter from General Lee, informing that the Hessians had embarked from Staten-Island, and did not doubt but that they intended a visit to this State, whereupon a letter was wrote to the Commodore, directing him to get the Fleet in a proper state of defence; likewise a letter to Samuel Morris, Jun˙, Esq˙, requesting him to send up the ammunition sloop, and supply himself with a shallop in her stead, to assist in sinking the chevaux-de-frise at Billingsport; also an express was despatched with the intelligence to Mr˙ Henry Fisher, at Lewistown, directing him to despatch two fastsailing boats, to go as far as Egg-Harbour, and in order to give intelligence of the movements of the enemy, and if any discoveries were made to forward the same to this Council, and to direct the signals to be attended to.

The Council adjourned to seven o' clock, when the following Members met: Thomas Wharton, Jun˙, President, David Rittenhouse, Samuel Morris, Sen˙, John Bayard, James Cannon, Joseph Blewer, Owen Biddle, Francis Gurney, Samuel Cad˙ Morris, Timothy Matlack.

A complaint being made by Captain Sharp Delany, that a certain John Brigs, of Willets Town, Chester County, had insulted his Company of Militia returning into town from exercise; and he appearing before this Council, and being charged with making use of disrespectful words against the liberties of America, and not denying the same, was committed to the State Prison.

Resolved, That a bounty of $10 be given to every able-bodied man who shall enter to serve during the war on board the Fleet belonging to this State; and that Commodore Seymour be directed to take the most effectual measures for manning the Fleet to its full complement.