Captain Macpherson Requested to Repair

v3:1898

Thursday, October 19, 1775.

The Committee of Claims reported their opinion, that the following Accounts ought to be paid:

The Account of the Committee of Lancaster, for sundries furnished the Rifle Companies, amounting to 2,213˙6 Dollars.

The Account of Richard Bache, Stephen Paschal, and Michael Hillegas, for superintending the printing of the Bills of Credit ordered to be struck by the Congress, amounting to 272 Dollars.

Ordered, That the above Accounts be paid.

The Committee appointed to take under consideration the method proposed by the Commissary-General, for supplying the Army with Provisions, brought in their Report, which was read.

It being represented to Congress that Captain Isaac Sears, of New-York, has, at the request of Mr˙ Trumbull, the Commissary-General, forwarded to the Camp at Cambridge seven thousand barrels of Flour, for which Mr˙ Trumbull has not been able to pay him, for want of money in the Military Chest,

On motion made, Resolved, That the sum of 30,000 Dollars be paid to Captain Isaac Sears, on account of the above Flour, he giving bond to account for the same to Mr˙ Trumbull, and that the same be charged to the account of Mr˙ Trumbull, the Commissary-General.

A Petition from Mr˙ Sears and Mr˙ Randall was laid before the Congress and read. After some debate,

Resolved, That the consideration of the subject thereof be deferred to this day fortnight, then to be taken up.

The Committee appointed to wait upon Captain Macpherson reported, that they had executed that service, and, upon conversing with him, do apprehend that the scheme he mentions is, in their opinion, feasible, and that he ought to repair to the Camp.

On motion made, Resolved, That he be requested immediately to repair to the Camp at Cambridge, and confer with General Washington; and that the Committee who waited on Captain Macpherson do prepare a Letter to the General on this subject, and report the same.

On motion made, Resolved, That the Provincial Convention of New-York be requested to send to this Congress a copy of any order or proceeding of theirs, or of the Mayor and Corporation, in consequence of Governour Tryon' s Letter to the Mayor, published in the New-York papers, under the 16th instant; also, an attested copy of said Letter.

The Order of the Day being renewed, and the several matters referred to this day postponed,

Adjourned to nine o' clock, to-morrow.