13, July 1775 Watertown, Massachusetts The Provincial Congress receives a letter from General Washington requesting that the resolve passed on raising the temporary reinforcements, be reconsidered. A letter from the town of Harpswell was received and sent to committee. The instruction given to Captain Davis is thereby dismissed. A committee is appointed to consider what towns the remains 10 prisoners should be sent to. It is ordered that Michael Edwards be released and discharged. The account of Solomon Lothrop is given to committee. A committee is appointed to consider the method of supplying recruitment officers with money for that purpose. It is resolved that the Receiver-General will provide the Committee of Safety with funds to be delivered to officers recruiting soldiers. The resolved passed to pay Captain Noble his account to be reconsidered that William Barber will receive the amount. Captain Stone is appointed President of Congress while Colonel Warren is absent. Captain Stone request to be excused from such appointment and Colonel Benjamin Lincoln is appointed. The petition of Harpswell is tabled. Lt. Gurney is to take custody of the prisoners John Davis and John Freeman, a negro man, to Cambridge and deliver them to the jail there. It is resolved that after reconsideration, William Barber will be paid the amount owed not Captain Noble, who in turn would pay Barber the amount. Solomon Lothrop account is ordered to be paid. The payment to John Gill is to be reconsidered. It is resolved the prisoner John Davis be remanded to the authority of the American forces for being a deserter from the enemy of Captain Foster’s company of artillery. Page 2 It is ordered that the prisoner John Freeman, a negro man, will remain in custody until further notice. A committee is appointed to consider the problem of horses. The committee assigned to the problem of soldiers enlisted for the second time but to a different company needs further time in discussion. A committee is appointed to provide a motion for a resolve that the killing of sheep needs to stop. The committee on salt reports that the commissary is directed to deal out 1 gill per week for each soldier. The committee of the problem of horses reports that all horses taken from the enemy will be placed under the supervision of the province. A resolve is ordered and to be printed that until further notice, the inhabitance will reframe from killing ay sheep or lambs. The account of Alexander Bray is to be paid. The account of Nathaniel Barber is to be paid. It is resolved that any soldier enlisting for a second time, will serve in the original company of his recruitment. The Committee of Safety is authorized to handle any disputes to the abve resolve. Page 3 The committee on the 10 prisoners reports; John Hayes and Thomas Bibby to Lumenburg, James Griffen and John Reed to Rutland, Perez Merren and Michael Malony to Shrewsbury, Patrick Hickey and Richard Nash to Brookfield and Michael Mellows and John Fleming to Sutton. The prisoners may walk but not past the town limits and may be employed. Any attempt at escape will provide proof of their attachment to the enemy and will be deal with accordingly. Each prisoner will be given 2 days rations. A committee is appointed to revise the commission of the Committee of Safety. Afternoon The committee on the Committee of Safety commission reports. The new members for the Committee of Safety are; John Hancock, Dr Benjamin Church, Captain Benjamin White, Colonel Joseph Palmer, Richard Devens, Abraham Watson, Colonel Azor Orne, Benjamin Greenleaf, Nathan Cushing, Dr Samuel Holten and Enoch Freeman. The powers and authorities are: They will have full power while Congress is in recess, they may convene Congress at any time if an emergency occurs with a quorum of 40, with all members notified of the calling with due time for travel. The full power will last until the 30th of July 1775. They shall consider the arrangements of the General and the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army and to give full cooperation. The Committee is given such application that shall be judged for the safety of the lives of the inhabitance of the colony and may cause the assembly of the militia and give orders for the discharge of duties. The Committee is provided with the over-seeing of all tradesmen and artificers and may retain, employ or dismiss any who are unable to satisfy their service. The Committee is authorized to execute all commissions and perform all services as resolved by Congress. Page 4 The Committee of Safety is also empowered to provide assistance to the poor of Boston and Charlestown and what measures need to guard against small pox. It is resolved that a quorum of 5 is needed for the Committee to sit and has the full powers to act accordantly. The Committee is also provided with authority to receive, examine, discharge or confined any person or persons taken into confinement for the welfare of all. The intimal Committee was installed on the 18th of May 1775 and will follow the resolves stated above and all other null and void. A committee is appointed to consider what to do with the prisoners brought from Machias. A committee is appointed to examine the account for bring the prisoners to Watertown, and so resolved that Lt Styles be paid. The 10 prisoners from Machias will be conducted to Worcester and placed in the jail there. Provisions will be provided for them and the expenses to be paid by the treasury. The 10 prisoners are; William Nurse, John Burrows, Nicholas Durham, Peter Larcher, Thomas Crispo, Joseph Temple, William Bishop, John Pardra; all taken from the armed-schooner Margaretta. Mr Phillips will inform General Washington on the proceedings of Congress and give information on the prisoner Daniel Green, now a Concord Jail. Mr Gill and Mr Gerry is appointed to thank the Reverend Gordon for his services to Congress and to thank the proprietors of the meeting-house used by Congress for this session. Page 5 Colonel Lincoln, Mr Gill and Mr Gerry are a committee to thank James Warren for his service a President of Congress. It is resolved that the Committee of Supplies is directed to give such relief as possible to the inhabitants of the eastern parts of the colony. It is resolved that the supply of nials needed to build a number of whaleboats be given to Captain Morton. Adjourned until next Wednesday, the 19th of July
Posted on: Sun, 13 Jul 2014 13:28:00 +0000
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