General Orders, 7 July 1780
General Orders
Head Quarters Pracaness Friday July 7th 1780
Parole Alexandria. Countersigns Narva Nile.
Watchword Look about
[Officers] For the Day Tomorrow[:] Colonel Chambers[,] Lieutenant Colonel Mentges[,] Brigade Major Bradford
The manœuvring Battalions which were to have Paraded this Morning are to parade tomorrow morning at four o clock.1
A Detachment for a Week’s command to parade at 6 o clock this afternoon with two days provisions and 40 rounds ⅌ man.
Ensign Bloomfield of the 3d Jersey Regiment is appointed Adjutant to the same vice Lieutenant Sheppard.2
A Return of Shoes actually Wanting by the Infantry and Artillery to be made tomorrow morning at Orderly time regimentally digested; as the supply in Camp at Present is small, it is expected that the officers commanding Brigades and Regiments will see that no more Men are included in the Returns than those who are upon the Ground and in immediate want.
The Board of General officers appointed by the Order of the 3d Instant composed of Major Generals Greene, Lord Stirling, Marquis De La Fayette, Brigadiers General Maxwell Knox and Wayne:3 have made the following Report.
“It is the unanimous opinion of this Board that they have not powers to alter the standing of any General officers different from their Appointment and therefore cannot determine upon the Claim of General Irvine of precedence to General Hand.[”]
At a Division General Court Martial the 27th ultimo Major Talbot President; Mr Swain Clothier for the State of Pennsylvania was tried on the following Charges—Absenting himself from Camp without Leave[,] Neglect of duty—Abuses in the Execution of his Office & Fraud.
Found Guilty of the first and second Charges being a Breach of section 18th Article 5th also of the 3d Charge being a breach of section 12 Article 1st of the Articles of War (acquitted of the 4th Charge) and sentenced to be dismissed the Service as a Person unworthy the Trust reposed in him.4
The Commander in Chief approves the sentence and orders it to take Place immediately.
After Orders
While We remain in this incampment a Corporal and four dragoons are to mount with the daily Guards and will receive their orders from the Brigadier or senior officer of the Day.
Colonel Moylan gives them Tomorrow.
Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
On this date, Azariah Dunham, superintendent of purchases for New Jersey, wrote Maj. Caleb Gibbs from Morristown, N.J.: “Colo. Blaine could not get any Loaf Shugar or good Hyson Tea lest you should be out of shugar I send you fifty six pounds—of powderd.
“I did expect some Casks of hams to be sent me before this but they are not come but to Oblige his Excellencys family send out of my own Store fourteen[.] when more comes to hand that can be depended on to be good will save them for you[.] shall be obliged to you for a receipt for them & shugar when convenient and the one taken of Corporal [John] Phillips shall be given up” (DLC:GW).
1. See General Orders, 6 July.
2. Samuel Shepperd (Sheppard, Shippard) joined the 3d New Jersey Regiment in February 1776 as adjutant and became a lieutenant in November 1777. He transferred to the 1st New Jersey Regiment in July 1778 and left the army in May 1782.
3. See General Orders, 3 July; see also GW to a Board of General Officers, 4 July.
4. Section 18, article 5, of the articles of war reads: “All crimes not capital, and all disorders and neglects which officers and soldiers may be guilty of, to the prejudice of good order and military discipline, though not mentioned in the above articles of war, are to be taken cognizance of by a general or regimental court-martial, according to the nature and degree of the offence, and be punished at their discretion” (, 5:807).
Section 12, article 1, of the articles of war reads: “Whatsoever commissioned officer, store-keeper, or commissary, shall be convicted at a general court-martial of having sold (without a proper order for that purpose) embezzled, misapplied, or wilfully, or through neglect, suffered any of the provisions, forage, arms, clothing, ammunition, or other military stores belonging to the United States, to be spoiled or damaged, the said officer, store-keeper, or commissary so offending, shall, at his own charge, make good the loss or damage, shall moreover forfeit all his pay, and be dismissed from the service” (, 5:796).