George Washington Papers

General Orders, 2 October 1778

General Orders

Head-Quarters Frederick’sburgh Friday Octr 2nd 1778.

Parole Northampton—C. Signs Nash. Nelson.

Captain Thomas Buchanan and Ensign Andrew Johnson of the 1st Penn sylvania Regiment are appointed the former Pay Master and the latter Quarter Master to the same, from the 2nd of June last—Likewise Lieutt Aaron Norcross is appointed Adjutant to the same from Feby 20th last.1

Varick transcript, DLC:GW.

1Thomas Buchanan (c.1747–1823) of Newville, Pa., who had been appointed a third lieutenant in Col. William Thompson’s Pennsylvania rifle regiment in June 1775, was promoted to second lieutenant of the 1st Continental Regiment in January 1776, first lieutenant of the 1st Pennsylvania Regiment in January 1777, and captain of the latter regiment in October 1777. Buchanan served as regimental paymaster from this date to 20 Aug. 1779 (see General Orders, that date), and Congress accepted his resignation from the army on 15 Oct. 1779 (see 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 , 15:1177). Buchanan became sheriff of Cumberland County, Pa., in 1789 and brigadier general of the county’s militia in 1793.

The date of Andrew Johnston’s appointment as quartermaster of the 1st Pennsylvania Regiment appears in the state records as 24 Mar. 1778, and he is ranked as a second lieutenant from that date (see Pa. Archives description begins Samuel Hazard et al., eds. Pennsylvania Archives. 9 ser., 138 vols. Philadelphia and Harrisburg, 1852–1949. description ends , 5th ser., 2:630, 666). Johnston was promoted to first lieutenant in May 1779, and he retired from the army on 1 Jan. 1781. Aaron Norcross, who had been appointed a second lieutenant in the 1st Pennsylvania Regiment in May 1777 and had been promoted to first lieutenant in September 1777, served as regimental adjutant until 20 Aug. 1779 (see General Orders, that date), and his resignation from the army became effective the following month.

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