Refolved, That a Committee be appointed to draught a Commiffion and Inftructions for the General,

The perfons chosen to compose the Committee, were Mr. Lee, Mr. E. Rutledge, and Mr. J. Adams. The papers tranfmitted from the Convention of New York being read,

Refolved, That the fame be referred to a Committee of five, and that they report what fteps, in their opinion, are neceffary to be taken for fecuring and preferving the friendship of the Indian nations..

The following perfons chosen for this committee, viz, Mr. Schuyler, Mr. Henry, Mr. Duane, Mr. Wilson, and Mr. P. Livingston.

The Congrefs then refumed the confideration of the report from the committee of the whole, and came to the following refolutions;

Refolved, That two Major-Generals be appointed for the American army,

That the pay of each of the Major-Generals be one hundred and fixty-fix Dollars per month.

That when any of thefe act in a separate department, he be allowed for his pay and expences three hundred and thirty-two Dollars per month.. That there be eight Brigadiers-General.

That the pay of each of the Brigadiers-General be one hundred and twenty-five Dollars per month. That there be one Adjutant-General.

That his pay be one hundred and twenty-five Dollars per month.

That there be one Commiffary-General of stores and provifions.

That his pay be eighty Dollars

per month.

That there be one Quarter-Master General for the Grand Army, and one Deputy under him for the feparate army.

That

That the pay of the Quarter-Mafter General be eighty Dollars per month, and that of the Deputy forty Dollars per month.

That there be one Pay-master General, and a Deputy under him for the army in a feparate department; that the pay for the Paymaster General himself be one hundred Dollars per month, and for the Deputy Paymaster under him fifty Dollars per

month.

That there be one chief Engineer at the Grand Army, and that his pay be fixty Dollars per month. That two affiftants be employed under him, and that the pay of each of them be twenty Dollars per month.

That there be one chief Engineer for the army in a separate department, and two Affiftants under him; that the pay of the chief Engineer be fixty Dollars per month, and the pay of the Affiftants each twenty Dollars per month.

That there be three Aids de Camp; and that their pay be thirty Dollars per month each.

That there be a Secretary to the General; and that his pay be fixty-fix Dollars per month.

That there be a Secretary to the Major General acting in a feparate department, and that his pay be thirty three Dollars per month.

That there be a Commiffary of the Mufters.

A letter from the Convention of New-York, received by exprefs, was laid before the Congress, and read, and the fame being taken into confideration,

Refolved, That the Provincial Convention of New Yok be defired immediately to apply to Governor Trumbull to order the Connecticut troops now ftationed at Greenwich, Stanford, and parts adjacent, to march towards New York.

Adjourned till to-morrow at nine o'clock.

M

SATURDAY,

1

1

SATURDAY, June 17, 1775-
Met according to adjournment.

The committee appointed to draught a Commiffion to the General, reported the fame, which being, read by paragraphs and debated, was agreed to as follows:

In CONGRESS.

The DELEGATES of the UNITED COLONIES of
New-Hampshire, Maffachufett's-Bay, Rhode-
Ifland, Connecticut, New-York, New-Jersey,
Pennsylvania, the Counties of New-Caftle, Kent
and Suffex on Delaware, Maryland, Virginia,
North Carolina and South Carolina.

To GEORGE WASHINGTON, Efq.
WE repofing efpecial truft and confidence in
your patriotifm, valour, conduct and fidelity, do,
by these prefents conftitute and appoint you, to be
General and Commander in Chief of the Army of
the United Colonies, and of all the Forces now
raised or to be raised by them, and of all others,
who shall voluntarily offer their fervice, and join
the faid army for the defence of American Liberty,
and for repelling every hoftile invafion thereof:
And you are hereby vefted with full power and
authority to act as you fhall think for the good and
welfare of the fervice.

And we do hereby ftrictly charge and require all officers and foldiers under your command, to be obedient to your orders, and diligent in the exercise of their feveral duties. And we do alfo enjoin and require you, to be careful in executing the great truft repofed in you, by caufing ftrict difcipline

and

and order to be observed in the army, and that the foldiers be duly exercifed and provided with all convenient neceffaries.

And you are to regulate your conduct in every respect by the rules and discipline of war (as herewith given you) and punctually to obferve and follow fuch orders and directions from time to time, as you shall receive from this or a future Congress of thefe United Colonies or Committee of Congrefs.

This Commiffion to continue in force, until revoked by this or a future Congrefs.

By Order of the Congrefs. Ordered, That the fame be fairly transcribed, figned by the Prefident, attefted by the Secretary, and delivered to the General.

Refolved unanimously. Whereas the Delegates of all the Colonies from Nova-Scotia to Georgia, in Congress affembled, have unanimously chofen George Washington, Efq; to be General and Commander in Chief of fuch forces as are or shall be raised for the maintenance and preservation of American Liberty; this Congress doth now declare, that they will maintain and affift him, and adhere to him the faid George Washington, with their lives and fortunes in the fame cause.

The Congress then proceeded to the choice of the Officers in the army by ballot.

Artemus Ward, Efq, was chofen first Major Ge̟neral.

Horatio Gates, Efq: Adjutant General.

Refolved, That Horatio Gates, Efq; now chofen
Adjutant General, fhall have the rank of Brigadier
General.

Charles Lee, Efq; fecond Major General.
Adjourned till Monday at 9 o'clock.

MON

1

MONDAY, JUNE 19, 1775.

Met according to adjournment,

The Prefident laid before the Congrefs fundry letters he had received from Maffachufett's-Bay and New-York, which were read.

Ordered, That Mr. Henry, Mr. Lynch, and Mr. J. Adams, be a Committee to wait upon General Lee, and to inform him of his appointment, and request his answer whether he will accept the command.

The Committee returned and reported, that they had waited on General Lee, and informed him of his appointment, and that he gave for answer, "That he had the highest

fenfe of the honour conferred upon him by the "Congrefs; that no effort in his power fhall be "wanting to ferve the American caufe."

The letters from Massachusett's-Bay being taken into confideration, the Congrefs came to the following refolve:

That the Governor of Connecticut be requested to direct all the forces raised in that colony, not employed at Ticonderoga and Crown-Point, or recommended by this Congrefs to be marched towards New-York, to be immediately fent to join the combined army before Bofton: And it is earneftly recommended to the colony of Rhode-Island, and to the provincial Convention of New-Hamp fhire, to fend immediately to the army before Boston, fuch of the forces as are already embodied towards their quotas of the troops agreed to be raised by the New-England colonies.

Refolved, That Mr. Lee, Mr. E. Rutledge, and Mr. J. Adams, be a Committee to prepare the form of a commiffion for the Major Generals, alfo for the Brigadier Generals, and other officers in the army, Refolved