George Washington Papers
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General Orders, 17 September 1775

General Orders

Head Quarters, Cambridge, Sept. 17th 1775

Parole Andover.Countersign, Beverly.

The Revd Mr John Murray is appointed Chaplain to the Rhode-Island Regiments and is to be respected as such.1

Col. Prescott being taken sick, Lt Col. Johonnet of the 21st Regt2 is to go forthwith to Sewells point, to take the Command of that post.

Varick transcript, DLC:GW.

1John Murray (1741–1815), founder of Universalism in America, came from England in 1770 and was residing at Gloucester, Mass., in May 1775, when the commanders of the three Rhode Island regiments invited him to be their chaplain. Murray accepted, but other chaplains objected to his radical religious views. This day’s order, confirming Murray’s appointment, may have resulted from a dinner meeting that Murray and his friend Nathanael Greene had with GW on 10 Sept. (Nathanael Greene to Catharine Greene, 10 Sept. 1775, in Showman, Greene Papers description begins Richard K. Showman et al., eds. The Papers of General Nathanael Greene. 13 vols. Chapel Hill, N.C., 1976–2005. description ends , 1:116–17). Illness forced Murray to retire near the end of this year, and he returned to Gloucester to raise money for destitute families.

2Col. John Glover’s Massachusetts regiment.

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