General Orders, 7 November 1779
General Orders
Head-Quarters Moore’s House [West Point]
sunday Novr 7th [1779]
Parole Coventry— C. Signs Hampden Ury—
Ensign Hezekiah Ford of the 2nd Maryland regiment is appointed Adjutant to the same from the 10th of June last.1
The officers and privates composing the rifle corps under the command of Major Parr, are all to join their respective regiments—The Major will see that all the rifles and their proper bullet moulds &c. are collected & numbered to prevent their being mixed or separated, and have them then delivered to the Commissary of Military Stores & take his receipt for the same—The Commissary is to cause the rifles &c. to be carefully boxed up and is not to deliver any of them without an order from the Commander in Chief. Muskets are to be drawn for the men in lieu of the rifles—The General cannot dissolve this corps without offering his particular thanks to the officers and soldiers remaining in it for their long, faithful and important services.2
At a Division General Court Martial whereof Colonel Vose was President the 12th of October last—Lieutenant William Crosman of the 15th Massachusetts regiment was tried for “Being frequently absent from camp without leave of the commanding officer of the regiment and being very inattentive to the company of which he had the command, but in particular for disregarding the general orders of the 20th & 25th of August in absenting himself from camp two nights and part of two days between the 5th and 9th of October last, while the troops were under marching orders, and when general orders were particular for officers to be very attentive to their several commands.”3
The Court acquit Lieutenant Crosman of inattention to his company but are of opinion that he is guilty of being frequently absent from camp without leave of the commanding officer of the regiment, and also that he is guilty of disregarding the general orders of the 20th and 25th of August in absenting himself from camp two nights and part of two days between the 5th and 9th of October while the troops were under marching orders, being a breach of the second article, 13th section, and of the 5th Article, 18th section of the Articles of war4 and do therefore sentence Lieutt Crosman to be dismissed the service of the United-States; but in consideration of Lieutenant Crosman’s having continued long in the service of his country and his being cut off from receiving any benefit of a resolve of the State of Massachusetts-Bay in which the depreciation of the currency is engaged to be made good to their troops5—the Court do therefore earnestly recommend Lieutenant Crosman to be restored.
The Commander in Chief confirms the sentence & orders it to take place, and is sorry that he cannot think the reasons urged by the court sufficient to justify him in restoring Lieutenant Crosman to his rank.6
At a division General Court Martial whereof Lieutt Colonel White was President the 30th ultimo, Josiah Edwards, James Robinson and John Ward of the Cavalry were tried for “Theft and desertion”—found guilty & unanimously sentenced to suffer Death, but from the characters of James Robinson and John Ward given by Captn Edgar under whose command they have ever been since in the regiment, the Court unanimously recommend the said James Robinson and John Ward to the General for mercy.
His Excellency the Commander in Chief confirms the sentence of the Court but in consideration of the unanimous recommendation of the court, pardons Robinson and Ward7 & directs the execution of Edwards on friday the 12th instant at such place as Majr General Heath shall direct.8
Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
1. Hezekiah Foard (Ford; c.1751–1833) enlisted in the 2d Maryland Regiment in April 1777 and became an ensign that September. He attained the rank of lieutenant in August 1780, transferred to the 1st Maryland Regiment in January 1781, and served until April 1783. For an obituary, see Salem Gazette (Mass.), 1 March 1833.
2. The rifle corps under Maj. James Parr had served with distinction during Sullivan’s expedition (see John Sullivan to GW, 30 Aug.). Parr’s command apparently was a reconfiguration of a unit that GW had sought to disband upon the reassignment of Maj. Thomas Posey in late 1778 (see GW to James Clinton and to Posey, both 20 Dec. 1778). Remnants of Col. Daniel Morgan’s Rifle Corps formed Posey’s command (see GW to John Stark, 18 July 1778, and n.1 to that document, and to Edward Hand, 19 Oct. 1778; see also 55–93).
3. The charges refer to divisional general orders, which have not been identified.
4. The second article of the thirteenth section of the articles of war reads: “No officer or soldier shall lie out of his quarters, garrison, or camp, without leave from his superior officer, upon penalty of being punished according to the nature of his offence, by the sentence of a court-martial” ( 5:797). The fifth article of the eighteenth section of the articles of war reads: “All crimes not capital, and all disorders and neglects which officers and soldiers may be guilty of, to the prejudice of good order and military discipline, though not mentioned in the above articles of war, are to be taken cognizance of by a general or regimental court-martial, according to the nature and degree of the offence, and be punished at their discretion” ( 5:807).
5. For this state legislative initiative still under consideration, see GW to the Board of War, 2 Nov., and n.2 to that document; see also GW to John Nixon, 25 Oct., and n.6 to that document.
6. William Crossman (Crosman; 1742–1807) became a lieutenant in the 15th Massachusetts Regiment in January 1777. The Massachusetts Council apparently promoted him to captain on 26 Nov. 1779 and backdated the new rank to 20 June of that year (see DNA: RG 93, Compiled Revolutionary War Military Service Records, 1775–1783, 15th Massachusetts Regiment). Crossman’s cashiering, however, nullified the promotion. For an obituary, see Epitome of The World (Bennington, Vt.), 28 Sept. 1807.
7. James Robinson, a sailor from Pennsylvania, enlisted as a private in the 2d Continental Dragoons on 23 Aug. 1779. He deserted again on 8 May 1780 (see DNA: RG 93, Compiled Revolutionary War Military Service Records, 1775–1783, 2d Continental Dragoons).
John Ward, a cutler from North Hartford, Conn., enlisted as a private in the 2d Continental Dragoons on 10 Aug. 1779. He was discharged from the army in March 1781 (see DNA: RG 93, Compiled Revolutionary War Military Service Records, 1775–1783, 2d Continental Dragoons).
8. Maj. Gen. William Heath wrote GW from Peekskill, N.Y., on 10 Nov.: “The enclosed petition was sent to me this Afternoon. If your Excellency should think proper to Notice it I would request an Answer by the bearer as the time for the Execution is at hand” (LS, DLC:GW). The enclosed petition from Josias Edwards to GW written at Peekskill on 9 Nov. reads: “May it please Your Exelencey, The Humbel petitioner Josias Edwards, Now Under the Sentence of Death, in the provost Guard he Beloing to the Second Regtment of light Dragoons comanded By Conlelon Sheldon, Said Edwards Do humbly apaile To His Exelency General Washingtoun Comander in Chife of the Unighted forces Amera The Distressed prisnar Do Most Earnestly Crave Mercy & forgiveness This time it Being the first Offense Sence Joned the Regtment And if his Exelency will Take It into Consideration and Spair My life this time Throw the Blesing of God and my Own indeavores To amend My Selfe in the Best maner I am Capebell But If His Exelency Do Not think it proper for to Spaire my Life this time I hope Your Exelency will Grant me a longer Day To Repent as I have Reced My Sentence But tow Days Before the time apointed that I Should Be Executed.
“To His Exelency Genral Heath May it plas your Exelency the above Riteing is Sent unto your Honour to Know if you will aprove of The Same as the prisnour is very Desirous That your Honour will Send a Coppy of the above to His Exelency General Washingtoun” (ADS, DLC:GW). For GW’s refusal of the petition, see his letter to Heath of 11 November.
Soldiers noted the execution. Pvt. Benjamin Gilbert of the 5th Massachusetts Regiment wrote in his diary for 12 Nov.: “A Light Horse man was hanged this Day for Desertion and Theft” ( 60). Pvt. Zebulon Vaughan of the same regiment wrote in his journal for that date: “friday today thar was a Light horsman hanged for Desartion and Stellen and Some other Crimes yet in Camp and his Name was thomas Edwards” ( 328). For a more detailed account, see 164–65.
Josias (Josiah) Edwards (d. 1779), a saddler from Durham, Conn., enlisted as a private in the 2d Continental Dragoons on 15 April 1779.