George Washington Papers

General Orders, 30 August 1778

General Orders

Head-Quarters W. Plains August 30th 1778.

Parole Industry—C. Signs Ireton. Ixworth—

The General Court Martial of the Line whereof Coll Hazen is President is dissolved and another is ordered to sit tomorrow nine oClock at the usual place to try all such Persons as shall be brought before them.

Colonel Humpton is appointed President, Lieutt Coll Miller, Major Thompson and a Captain from each Brigade except Nixon’s Late Larned’s & Waynes are to attend as Members.1

Varick transcript, DLC:GW.

1In Maj. Gen. Benjamin Lincoln’s orderly book, this order continues: “all Evidences & Persons concernd to attend” (MHi: Lincoln Papers). Joseph Thompson (1733–c. 1795) of Brimfield, Mass., who had served as an ensign and lieutenant during the French and Indian War, was a captain in the Lexington Alarm of April 1775 and became a captain in Col. Timothy Danielson’s Massachusetts Regiment in May of that year. In January 1776 Thompson’s company was consolidated with the 6th Massachusetts Regiment into the 4th Continental Infantry (later designated as Nixon’s Regiment). Thompson was promoted to major in November 1776 and remained at that rank until the summer of 1779, when he was promoted to lieutenant colonel of the 10th Massachusetts Regiment with a commission backdated to December 1777. Captured at an engagement in Westchester County on 3 Feb. 1780, Thompson was exchanged in December 1780 and retired in January 1781.

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