1. The camp committee referred the matter to Congress, writing to Henry Laurens on 1 Mar., “We just now received a Note from the General by the Bearer of this Letter informing us that the Armoury Department is in the most deplorable Situation. Mr. Dupree came this Day from Lebanon to give him Information upon the Subject and in the Course of our Inquiries gives us but too much Reason to beleive that a fatal Neglect prevails at every of the public works in the State. There are at present 6,000 Stand of Arms wanting Repair perhaps more. Let us intreat Sir that Congress will cause instant Inquiry to be made into the Representations Mr. Dupree will make and provide Means to have all the Arms put into Repair without Delay” (Smith, Letters of Delegates description begins Paul H. Smith et al., eds. Letters of Delegates to Congress, 1774–1789. 26 vols. Washington, D.C., 1976–2000. description ends , 9:184–85). Congress read the committee’s letter on 6 Mar. and referred it to the Board of War (JCC description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds. Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789. 34 vols. Washington, D.C., 1904–37. description ends , 10:227). Dupre evidently was inspecting muskets at the armory, where he decided that 459 muskets received in February should be taken to pieces (Jonathan Gostelowe, “General Return of Arms Accoutrements &c.” received at Lebanon from 1 Feb. to 1 Mar. 1778, DNA: RG 93, War Department Collection of Revolutionary War Records, Miscellaneous Numbered Records, no. 21278). He may have been James Dupre, a North Carolina armorer who had offered his services to GW in the summer of 1777 and who was omitted from the North Carolina service in November 1777 (see Richard Peters to GW, 16 July 1777, and N.C. State Records description begins Walter Clark, ed. The State Records of North Carolina. 16 vols., numbered 11-26. Winston and Goldsboro, N.C., 1895–1907. description ends , 16:1039).