Letter from General Washington

v4:1630

Wednesday, January 3, 1776.

A Letter from General Washington, dated the 25th of December, enclosing a Letter from General Howe, and accompanied with sundry papers, was laid before Congress, and read.

The Committee of Safety having recommended sundry gentlemen for Field-Officers of the four Battalions ordered to be raised in Pennsylvania, the Congress proceeded to the election; and Arthur St˙ Clair, Esquire, was elected Colonel of the Second Battalion; John Shea, Esquire, Colonel of the Third Battalion; Anthony Wayne, Esquire, Colonel of the Fourth Battalion; Robert Magau, Esquire, Colonel of the Fifth Battalion.

The Congress, taking into consideration the Report of the Secret Committee, thereupon came to the following Resolutions:

Resolved, That the following Goods and Stores ought to be imported, as soon as possible, for the use of the United Colonies, viz: 60,000 striped Blankets; 120,000 yards of 6-4 Broadcloths, the colours to be brown and blue, from 3s˙ to 6s˙ sterling, per yard; 10,000 yards of ditto, different colours, for facings, at 4s˙; 3,000 pieces of Duffils, or some such Cloth; 100 M˙ sorted Needles; 50 M˙ ditto, none very fine; 10 M˙ ditto, for Sailcloth; 3,000 pieces of Raven' s Duck; 3,000 pieces of Ticklenburghs; 1,500 pieces of Osnaburghs; 1,000 pieces of Vittrey; 4,000 pieces of Hamburgh Dowlas; 20,000 stand, of Arms; 300 tons of Lead; 1,000,000 Flints; 1,500 boxes of Tin, and Iron Wire, properly sorted for it; Medicines, Surgeons' Instruments, Lint, and Bandages, in the whole, to the amount of 2,000 Pounds, sterling; 500 sheets of Copper, of different sorts.

Resolved, That the Secret Committee be empowered and directed to pursue the most effectual measures for importing the above articles.

Resolved, That the further consideration of this Report be postponed.

The Committee of Claims reported, that there is due to Captain Edward Motte, for expenses, &c˙, in conducting the Prisoners taken at St˙ John' s, from Kingston, in the Province of New-York, to Lancaster, in the Province of Pennsylvania, a balance of 367.7 Dollars.

That there is due to Robert Erwin, Wagon master, for carnage of Clothing and Medicine to Dobb' s Ferry and to Cambridge 222.6 Dollars.

Ordered, That the above be paid.