General Orders, 12 July 1778
General Orders
Head-Quarters Peramus [N.J.] Sabbath July 12th 1778.
Parole Bridgewater—C. Signs Bergen. Bristol.
At a General Court Martial in the Right Wing of the Army at Watersisson1 July 9th 1778—Lieutt Coll Meade President, Captain Lipscomb, Acting Quarter-Master General to the Division commanded by Majr General Baron de Steuben, tried for treating the General in a disrespectful manner.
After considering the Charge and Evidence the Court are unanimously of opinion that Captain Lipscomb is not guilty of the Charge exhibited against him and do acquit him with honor.
The General approves the sentence; He is willing to believe that Captain Lipscomb did not intend that disrespect to Baron de Steuben, which the Baron apprehended, at the same time he must observe that there was an Impropiety in Captain Lipscomb’s taking quarters in a house destined for the General commanding the Division.
At the same Court Lieutt West of Coll Angell’s Regiment was tried for plundering the property of Mrs Golf in the Month of December A.D. 1776. found guilty of the Charge exhibited against him and sentenced to be discharged from the service2—The Commander in Chief confirms the sentence, and orders it to take place immediately.
The Commander in Chief directs that no sick be left on this ground but that they be all carried to King’s-Ferry—Spare Waggons are to be provided for such as cannot be conveyed on the Baggage Waggons.
The Post-Office will in future on a march move and remain with the Park.
Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
1. Wardsesson (Watsessing) in Essex County, N.J., was given its modern name of Bloomfield in 1796.
2. Ebenezer West, who was appointed as an ensign in the 11th Continental Infantry in January 1776, was commissioned a second lieutenant of the regiment, reorganized and renamed the 2d Rhode Island Regiment, on 11 Feb. 1777. Other orderly books record the victim’s name as “Mrs Jeff” (orderly book of Jedediah Huntington’s brigade, NHi; see also , 12:502).