General Orders, 28 April 1778
General Orders
Head-Quarters V. Forge Tuesday April 28th 1778.
Parole: Tripoli—Countersigns: Toulon. Tunis.
The Medicine Chests from Scotts and Woodford’s Brigades to be sent to the Yellow-Springs tomorrow where they will be refilled by the Apothecary General Mr Cutting.
The sentences against David Rush & Thomas Fitzgerald mentioned in orders of the 18th instant are commuted to one month’s constant fatigue each.
The Commanding Officers of Regiments are desired to prevent their men from stragling that they may be ready to turn out on the shortest notice.
It is expected that the several Brigades will be completed as soon as possible with forty rounds pr man:1 The Brigade Quarter Masters will make out returns immediately for that purpose; They must be signed by the Commanding Officers of Brigades.
Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
1. The ordnance returns of Samuel French, commissary of military stores with the army, reveal some easing of the shortage of musket cartridges during the month of April 1778. French’s return of 1 April reported that during the month of March he had delivered to the troops 46,342 cartridges, slightly more than had been delivered to him, leaving a store of 30,354 cartridges at camp and an additional 7,932 cartridges in a magazine at Reamstown, Pennsylvania. His return of 1 May reported that an additional 284,457 cartridges were delivered to him in April and 171,617 distributed, leaving a store of 143,204 cartridges at camp and the 7,932 cartridges at Reamstown. The eased conditions allowed French to distribute 256,023 cartridges to the troops in May, but deliveries to him of 303,655 cartridges that month left him with 198,768 cartridges on hand on 1 June (DNA: RG 93, manuscript file nos. 21045, 21007, 21008).