Continental Congress Report on Subsistence for the Army in Lieu of Rations, 3 December 1782
Continental Congress
Report on Subsistence for the Army in Lieu of Rations1
[Philadelphia] December 3, 1782
The Committee2 to whom was referred the letter from the Superintendant of Finance and the Secretary at War respecting the subsistence of the army for the ensuing year3 pray leave to report in favour of the following resolutions
Resolved that after the last day of december Inst, in lieu of the rations hitherto allowed to the officers of the army including those for servants they shall be allowed subsistance money at the rate of four dollars per month for each ration, provided that where circumstances in any case shall not permit the payment of such subsistence money, they shall draw their rations as heretofore.
Resolved, that after the forementioned period, in lieu of the pay and rations allowed to the officers of the Hospital department (including rations for servants) they shall be intitled to the following monthly pay and subsistence, provided in like manner that where the said subsistence money shall not be paid, they shall be intitled to draw an equivalent number of rations at the rate of four dollars for each ration per month
| To the Director | 102 | dollars | pay | 60 | dollars | subsistence |
| Dy Director & Physician each | 100 | do. | do. | 48 | do. | do. |
| Surgeons | 90 | do. | do. | 40 | ||
| Apothecary & Purveyor each | 9⟨2⟩ | do. | do. | ⟨32⟩ | do. | do. |
| Dy Apothecary & Purveyor each | 59 | do. | do. | 16 | do. | do. |
| Mates | 42 | dollars | pay | 12 | do. | subsistence |
| Stewards | 31 | do. | 8 | do. | do. | |
| Ward Masters | 21 | do. | 8 | do. | do. |
AD, Papers of the Continental Congress, National Archives.
1. Unless otherwise indicated, the date ascribed to reports or motions made by H in the Continental Congress is the date they were read in Congress. If the date a document was read cannot be determined, the date on which it was passed is given. When the date is stated on the endorsement, it is printed at the top of the document without brackets. If it is taken from another source or is inferred from the contents of the document, it is bracketed. If not in the writing of H, the reports of committees of which he was a member are neither printed nor calendared.
Motions by H that a vote be taken, that a report or motion be referred to a committee, or that a minor change be made in a report have not been printed. Such motions are in , XXIV, 35, 41, 115, 149, 222. Motions seconded by H are not printed unless the motion which he seconded is in his writing.
2. The committee consisted of H, Richard Peters of Pennsylvania, and Samuel Osgood of Massachusetts.
3. The letter dated November 22, 1782, signed jointly by Robert Morris, Superintendent of Finance, and Benjamin Lincoln, Secretary at War, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, National Archives.