Letter from the New-York Congress to their Delegates

v5:311

GENTLEMEN: The Continental Congress formerly directed us to raise Minute Companies in this Colony, and established their pay, when called into actual service, to be the same with the pay of the Continental Troops; At the time we were ordered to form these Companies, the pay of a private was fifty-three shillings and four pence per month, and the men were raised on assurance that they were to receive, this pay; and although some of the privates have been inlisted since the 19th of January, when the new establishment was formed which reduced the pay to forty shillings per month, yet the officers, not knowing of this reduction, inlisted their privates on assurance that they were to receive the pay of the old establishment. These Companies are now called into actual service, and are in this city. They express great uneasiness at being reduced to the pay of forty shillings per month, when they were promised fifty-three shillings and four pence. We are apprehensive that the service will suffer by this uneasiness; and as it is not in our power to remove the difficulty, we should be glad to take the sense of the Continental Congress, and beg you would transmit it to us as soon as possible. It may be proper to inform you that the officers are content with the pay provided by the first establishment though, less than the last establishment.

We are, sirs, your very humble servants.

By order.

To the New-York Delegates in Continental Congress.