Minute-Men to be inlisted for four months

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Thursday, October 12, 1775.

Wrote to Messrs˙ Bartlett and Langdon, at the Continental Congress.

Appointed Jonathan Perkins special Express, to carry the above Letters to Timothy Walker, Esquire, at Winter-Hill.

Desired Deacon Brooks, one of the Committee of Supplies, to advance Perkins four Dollars, for his expenses.

This Committee, taking into consideration the necessity of the Regiments of Minute-Men being as speedily raised as possible, having reviewed the votes of Congress relative thereto, and found a vote for the soldiers that inlist in the Minute service to "continue till further orders of the Congress," which vote must have been a mistake of the scribe, or passed over by the Congress, through the hurry and multiplicity of the business they were engaged in when that passed, as it is very evident the design of Congress was to follow the directions of the Continental Congress: Therefore, it is now resolved by this Committee, that the said Minute-Men be inlisted for the term of four months; and that, at the end of said four months, the Officers proceed to inlist their Companies again, in the same manner as at first. And it is earnestly recommended to the persons who shall be appointed to inlist Minute-Men, to use their utmost endeavours to fill up the Companies as soon as possible; and to the Soldiers, at this important crisis, when our all is at stake, to engage in the service; and, as they will be relieved in four months, the duty will be nearly equal among all the Militia. And the following form is to be used for inlistment:

"We, the subscribers, do hereby severally inlist ourselves as Minute-Men, for the term of four months, in the Company under the command of ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙, in the ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ Regiment of Minute-Men, in the Colony of New-Hampshire. And we hereby promise to submit ourselves to the orders and regulations of said Minute-Men, and faithfully to observe and obey such orders as we shall receive, from time to time, from our officers."