George Washington Papers

General Orders, 22 November 1777

General Orders

Head-Quarters, White Marsh [Pa.] Nov: 22nd 1777.

Parole ChesterC. Signs Danbury. Easton.

The General Court Martial of the line, of which Colonel Grayson is president, is to sit to morrow morning at nine o’clock, at the house where General Huntington quartered, for the trial of all prisoners which shall be brought before them—An orderly serjeant from each brigade is to attend the court—Lt Col. Heth—Lt Col. Becker1 and Major Taylor, and a captain from each Continental brigade present, are to compose the members of the court.

All the General Officers present in camp are desired to meet at Lord Stirling’s quarters, to morrow at 10 o’clock in the forenoon, to settle the ranks of the Field Officers of horse, who are to attend this board and exhibit their respective claims.

The brigades commanded by Generals Paterson, and Learned, are to form one division under Major General The Baron De Kalb.

After Orders. The Commander in Chief offers a reward of Ten dollars, to any person who shall, by nine o’clock on Monday morning,2 produce the best substitute for shoes, made of raw hides—The Commissary of hides is to furnish the hides, and the Major General of the day is to judge of the essays, and assign the reward to the best artist.

Col. Martin of North Carolina having resigned his Commission, the eldest officer of that corps now present is to command it.3

The troops just arrived from the northward, are immediately to have their Cartouch Boxes filled with cartridges—The whole army to have their ammunition in such readiness as to be completed to 40 rounds, at a moment’s warning, where they have waggons to secure that quantity from the weather, and officers and men to be in camp, that they may be ready to act on the shortest notice.

Varick transcript, DLC:GW.

Weedon’s orderly book includes an additional order immediately preceding the after orders: “The horse taken Yesterday by the scouting Party commanded by [Lt.] Colo. [Michael] Bopst assisted by a Party of light Horse are all to be brought to the Quarter Master Generals Quarters Tomorrow Morning at Ten oClock and sold at publick Vendue the Produce of the Sail is immediately to be divided by the Quarter Master General between the Captors” (Weedon’s Orderly Book description begins Valley Forge Orderly Book of General George Weedon of the Continental Army under Command of Genl George Washington, in the Campaign of 1777–8: Describing the Events of the Battles of Brandywine, Warren Tavern, Germantown, and Whitemarsh, and of the Camps at Neshaminy, Wilmington, Pennypacker’s Mills, Skippack, Whitemarsh, & Valley Forge. New York, 1902. description ends , 138; see also “Muhlenberg’s Orderly Book,” description begins “Orderly Book of Gen. John Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg, March 26–December 20, 1777.” Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 33 (1909): 257–78, 454–74; 34 (1910): 21–40, 166–89, 336–60, 438–77; 35 (1911): 59–89, 156–87, 290–303. description ends 35:184).

1John Baker (1721–1785) of Massachusetts was appointed lieutenant colonel of Col. William Raymond Lee’s Additional Continental Regiment on 1 July 1777. Baker resigned from the service on 1 Mar. 1779.

2The following Monday was 24 November.

3John Patten (c.1733–1787), who represented Beaufort County, N.C., in the colony’s Third Provincial Congress in August 1776, was appointed major of the 2d North Carolina Regiment on 1 Sept. 1775. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel on 10 April 1776, and on 22 Nov. 1777 he succeeded Alexander Martin as colonel of the regiment. After wintering with GW at Valley Forge and participating in the Battle of Monmouth, Patten was stationed in the New York highlands until November 1779 when he and his regiment were sent south. Patten was captured when Charleston fell to the British on 12 May 1780. He never returned to active duty and officially retired from the Continental service in January 1783.

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