Appointment and first communication of the Board of War, 1776.
Dublin Core
Title
Appointment and first communication of the Board of War, 1776.
Date
1776-06-12
Description
Handwritten transcript of the appointments and first communication of the Board of War on June 12 and 21, 1776. Appointment of John Adams, Roger Sherman, Benjamin Harrison, James Wilson, and Edward Rutledge to the Board of War.
2023-05-18
600 dpi, 16-bit depth, color, Epson Expression 10000XL, Archival masters are tiffs.
Contributor
Cox, Danielle
Butler, Collin (transcriber)
Rights
Copyright has not been assigned to the Charleston Library Society. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Special Collections Librarian. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Charleston Library Society as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher.
Format
image/jpeg
Type
StillImage
Source
Ms. 174, Appointment and first communication of the Board of War, 1776.
Language
English
Identifier
Ms174_Let4
Text Item Type Metadata
Transcription
In Congress June 12th 1776
Resolved that a Committee of Congress be appointed by the names of [illegible]. A Board of War and Ordinance to consist of Five members
That a Secretary and one or more Clerks be appointed by Congress with competent salaries to assist the said Board in executing the Business of their department.
That it shall be the duty of the said Board to obtain and keep an alphabetical and accurate Register of the Names of all officers of the land Forces in the Service of the United Colonies with their Ranks and dates of their respective Commissions, and also regular accounts of the State and dispositions of the Troops in the respective Colonies, for which purpose the General and officers commanding in the different departments and Posts and to cause regular returns to be made into the said war office.
That they shall obtain and keep exact accounts of all the Artillery, Arms, Ammunition and warlike Stores belonging to the United Colonies and of the manner in which, and the places where the same shall from time to time be lodged and employed, and that they shall have the immediate care of all such Artillery, Arms, Ammunition, and Warlike Stores, or shall not be employ'd in Actual Services, for preserving whereof, they shall have power to hire proper Magazines at the Public Expense.
That they shall have the care of forwarding all dispatches from Congress to the Colonies and Armies and all Monies to be transmitted for the public service by order of Congress, and of providing suitable Escorts and Guards for the safe Conveyance of such dispatches and monies when it shall appear to them necessary.
That they shall superintend the raising, fitting out and dispatching all such land Forces as may be order'd for the Service of the United Colonies
That they shall have the care and direction of all Prisoners of war agreeable to the orders and Regulations of Congress
Verte
That they shall keep and preserve in the said office in Regular order all original Letters and Papers which shall come into the said office by order of Congress or otherwise and shall also cause all Draughts of Letters and Dispatches to be made or transcribed in Books to be set apart for that purpose and shall cause fair Entries in like manner to be made and Registers preserved of all other Business which shall be transacted in the said office.
The Members chosen Mr. J. Adams, Mr. Sherman, Mr. Harrison, Mr. Wilson, & Mr. E. Rutledge
The Ballot being taken
Richard Peters Esq. was Elected Secretary of the Board of War and Ordinance
Extracts from the Minutes
Chas. Thomson (Secrety.)
War Office June 21st 1776
Sir,
The Congress having thought proper to appoint us to the Board of war and ordinance, we do ourselves the Honour to transmit you the foregoing extracts from their proceedings establishing a war office for the more speedy and effectual dispatch of Millitary Business. You will perceive on perusal of the Extracts that it will be necessary for your forthwith to furnish the Board with an exact state of the Army under your Command and every thing relative thereto.
You will therefore be pleased, as speedily as Possible to give the necessary directions for true and accurate returns to be made to you, so as to enable you to give the Board the proper information.
So much depends on reducing into Method the Business recommended to our Notice we beg you
will forward all measures condusive to this desireable purpose by every means in your power.
It is expected that in future monthly returns be regularly transmitted to the War Office that Congress may frequently have a full and general knowledge of the true situation of their Military Affairs, without which it will be impossible to conduct them with propriety and success. We must further request that you will keep up a constant and regular correspondence with us, that we may co-operate with you in such measure as may tend to advance the Intrest of America in General and the particular Department committed to your care.
You will be pleas'd in the returns of the several Regiments to mention the Colonies in which they were raised, the times when and the Periods, for which the men were enlisted as it will be necessary for us to have sufficient Notice of the matters that Congress may keep up the Army to its full Compliment.
Signed
Jno. Adams
Roger Sherman
Benj. Harrison
Jms. Wilson
Edw. Rutledge
Hon. Gen. Lee
First Board of War
appointed by Congress
June 12 1776
Members five names
John Adams
Roger Sherman
Benjamin Harrison
James Wilson
Edward Rutledge
First Communication
Resolved that a Committee of Congress be appointed by the names of [illegible]. A Board of War and Ordinance to consist of Five members
That a Secretary and one or more Clerks be appointed by Congress with competent salaries to assist the said Board in executing the Business of their department.
That it shall be the duty of the said Board to obtain and keep an alphabetical and accurate Register of the Names of all officers of the land Forces in the Service of the United Colonies with their Ranks and dates of their respective Commissions, and also regular accounts of the State and dispositions of the Troops in the respective Colonies, for which purpose the General and officers commanding in the different departments and Posts and to cause regular returns to be made into the said war office.
That they shall obtain and keep exact accounts of all the Artillery, Arms, Ammunition and warlike Stores belonging to the United Colonies and of the manner in which, and the places where the same shall from time to time be lodged and employed, and that they shall have the immediate care of all such Artillery, Arms, Ammunition, and Warlike Stores, or shall not be employ'd in Actual Services, for preserving whereof, they shall have power to hire proper Magazines at the Public Expense.
That they shall have the care of forwarding all dispatches from Congress to the Colonies and Armies and all Monies to be transmitted for the public service by order of Congress, and of providing suitable Escorts and Guards for the safe Conveyance of such dispatches and monies when it shall appear to them necessary.
That they shall superintend the raising, fitting out and dispatching all such land Forces as may be order'd for the Service of the United Colonies
That they shall have the care and direction of all Prisoners of war agreeable to the orders and Regulations of Congress
Verte
That they shall keep and preserve in the said office in Regular order all original Letters and Papers which shall come into the said office by order of Congress or otherwise and shall also cause all Draughts of Letters and Dispatches to be made or transcribed in Books to be set apart for that purpose and shall cause fair Entries in like manner to be made and Registers preserved of all other Business which shall be transacted in the said office.
The Members chosen Mr. J. Adams, Mr. Sherman, Mr. Harrison, Mr. Wilson, & Mr. E. Rutledge
The Ballot being taken
Richard Peters Esq. was Elected Secretary of the Board of War and Ordinance
Extracts from the Minutes
Chas. Thomson (Secrety.)
War Office June 21st 1776
Sir,
The Congress having thought proper to appoint us to the Board of war and ordinance, we do ourselves the Honour to transmit you the foregoing extracts from their proceedings establishing a war office for the more speedy and effectual dispatch of Millitary Business. You will perceive on perusal of the Extracts that it will be necessary for your forthwith to furnish the Board with an exact state of the Army under your Command and every thing relative thereto.
You will therefore be pleased, as speedily as Possible to give the necessary directions for true and accurate returns to be made to you, so as to enable you to give the Board the proper information.
So much depends on reducing into Method the Business recommended to our Notice we beg you
will forward all measures condusive to this desireable purpose by every means in your power.
It is expected that in future monthly returns be regularly transmitted to the War Office that Congress may frequently have a full and general knowledge of the true situation of their Military Affairs, without which it will be impossible to conduct them with propriety and success. We must further request that you will keep up a constant and regular correspondence with us, that we may co-operate with you in such measure as may tend to advance the Intrest of America in General and the particular Department committed to your care.
You will be pleas'd in the returns of the several Regiments to mention the Colonies in which they were raised, the times when and the Periods, for which the men were enlisted as it will be necessary for us to have sufficient Notice of the matters that Congress may keep up the Army to its full Compliment.
Signed
Jno. Adams
Roger Sherman
Benj. Harrison
Jms. Wilson
Edw. Rutledge
Hon. Gen. Lee
First Board of War
appointed by Congress
June 12 1776
Members five names
John Adams
Roger Sherman
Benjamin Harrison
James Wilson
Edward Rutledge
First Communication
Collection
Citation
United States Continental Congress., “Appointment and first communication of the Board of War, 1776.,” Charleston Library Society Digital Collections, accessed May 17, 2024, https://charlestonlibrarysociety.omeka.net/items/show/1474.