General Orders, 18 November 1779
General Orders
Head-Quarters Moore’s House [West Point]
thursday Novr 18th [1779]
Parole White— C. Signs Parker. Laurens.
The North Carolina brigade to march immediately by the route assigned them.1
The 12th Massachusetts’ regiment to march to Fish-Kill—The commanding officer will apply to Colonel Hay for quarters.2
Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
Adj. Gen. Alexander Scammell’s orderly book entry for this date includes an additional general order: “A Trusty Serjeant & 8 Men from the Pennsylvaa Line to parade this afternoon with their Arms, Packs, Blankets & three days provision, he will receive his Orders from Major Claiborne” (orderly book, 17 Oct. 1779–22 March 1780, DNA: RG 93, Orderly Books, 1775–1783, vol. 33).
Col. Otho Holland Williams’s orderly book entry for this date includes yet another general order: “Each of the Maryland Brigades to furnish a serjeant and 12 Men to collect the Boats between this place [Buttermilk Falls, N.Y.] and peeks Kill, and bring them to Captain Buchannan’s at the landing: one Serjeant and party to go on the East; and another on the West side of the river—They’re to be sent immediately on the business” (orderly book, 12 Oct.-24 Dec. 1779, DLC: Peter Force Collection).
1. GW issued this order after learning on the previous evening that Congress had designated the North Carolina brigade for service in the southern department (see GW to Thomas Clark, 17 Nov., found at GW to Clark, 19 Nov., n.2, and to Henry Knox, 18 Nov.; see also Samuel Huntington to GW, 11 Nov., and n.3, and GW to Huntington, 20 Nov.).
2. The 12th Massachusetts Regiment had been stationed at West Point. Col. Samuel Brewer had commanded the regiment until being cashiered for embezzlement in September 1778. Lt. Col. Ebenezer Sproat (Sprout) took command in December 1779.