George Washington Papers

General Orders, 7 April 1778

General Orders

Head-Quarters V. Forge Tuesday April 7th 78.

Parole: Sandown—Countersigns: Saco. Sutton.

A General Court Martial of the Line whereof Brigadier General Poor is appointed President to sit tomorrow nine ôClock at the Presidents quarters1 to try such persons as shall be brought before them, Coll Stewart, Lieutt Coll Burr, Major Peters and a Captain from the Corps of Artillery, Woodford’s, Scott’s 1st Pennsylvania 2nd Pennsylvania, Glover’s, Paterson’s Muhlenberg’s, Maxwell’s, Huntington’s Varnum’s and McIntosh’s Brigades to attend as members.

Captain William Lewis2 is appointed Brigade Inspector in General Muhlenberg’s Brigade and Captain Corghan3 in General Scott’s; they are to be respected accordingly.

The Brigade Quarter-Masters will immediately bring in the empty Ammunition boxes to the Park of Artillery and deliver them to the Commissary of Military Stores.

An exact return of Arms & Accoutrements to be made immediately according to the form which shall be delivered the Brigade Majors.

The Commanding Officers of Regiments & Corps are desired to be very particular in their next weekly returns to account for all their officers & men, who are absent, sick, on furlough or Command and the places where that proper measures may be taken to call them in to join their respective Corps—The General enjoins upon them to be exceedingly exact to mention those officers in every department who detain any of their soldiers as waiters or for any other purpose and every other particular Circumstances relative to their absence as his fixed determination is that he will know the true state of his Army.4

Varick transcript, DLC:GW.

1. According to one soldier’s recollection, Brig. Gen. Enoch Poor quartered at the house of Benjamin Jones, southeast of the main encampment (Woodman, History of Valley Forge description begins Henry Woodman. The History of Valley Forge: With a Biography of the Author and the Author’s Father, who was a Soldier with Washington at Valley Forge during the Winters of 1777 and 1778. Oaks, Pa., 1921. description ends , 58, 119).

2. William Lewis (1724–1811) was commissioned a lieutenant in the 1st Virginia Regiment on 2 Oct. 1775 and promoted to captain on 4 Sept. 1776. Promoted to major of the 10th Virginia Regiment in May 1779, he was captured at Charleston on 12 May 1780 and remained a prisoner to the end of the war.

3. The orderly book of the 2d Pennsylvania Regiment correctly renders this name as “Croghan” (“Orderly Book of the Second Pennsylvania,” description begins John W. Jordan, ed. “Orderly Book of the Second Pennsylvania Continental Line, Col. Henry Bicker.” Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 35 (1911): 333–42, 463–96; 36 (1912): 30–59, 236–53, 329–45. description ends 35:478).

4. Brig. Gen. Edward Hand’s orderly book includes an additional sentence: “A few Continental Tickets to be had at the Auditor Office & at the paymaster Genls” (DNA: RG 93, Orderly Books, 1775–1783, vol. 22; see also “Orderly Book of the Second Pennsylvania,” description begins John W. Jordan, ed. “Orderly Book of the Second Pennsylvania Continental Line, Col. Henry Bicker.” Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 35 (1911): 333–42, 463–96; 36 (1912): 30–59, 236–53, 329–45. description ends 35:478).

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    Washington Papers
    Title
    General Orders, 7 April 1778
    Author
    Washington, George
    Date
    7 April 1778

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    Cite as
    “General Orders, 7 April 1778,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-14-02-0399. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, vol. 14, 1 March 1778 – 30 April 1778, ed. David R. Hoth. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2004, pp. 418–419.]