George Washington Papers

General Orders, 24 June 1777

General Orders

Head-Quarters, Quibble-town, June 24th 1777.1

Parole: HartfordCountersigns: Hatfield.
Huntington.

In case of an alarm, the army is to be drawn up in two lines on the northern side of the brook—Genl Greene’s division on the right—Genl Lincoln’s on the left of the front line; Genl Stephens’s division on the right of the second line, and Brigd. Genl Parsons’s brigade on the left of the second line; to be joined by Genl Varnum’s, when he comes up. The troops to make the best shelter they can, with boughs of trees.2

An alarm will be made by the firing of two field pieces, at the park of Artillery, upon which the whole army is to muster and take the ground shewn to the Brigadiers General, with all possible dispatch—The park of Artillery to form in the Centre of the first line.

Varick transcript, DLC:GW.

1Raymond Demeré II (1752–1791), an officer from Georgia who had arrived at GW’s headquarters on the last day of May 1777, gives a description of some of GW’s activities on 24 June in his journal entry for that date: “Rose at daylight, formed the detachments, marched one mile, halted, and waited for the Commander in Chief. 2 Hession deserters came in. Twelve o’clock, Gen. Washington and Lts. arrived. Weather so sultry, the troops promised to retire; never felt warmer weather in Georgia; at 4 o’clock Gen. Washington set off for Matachin church; we escorted him part of the way with 40 Light Horse; over took Gen. [John] Sullivan on the way with his division of 4000 men and went as far as Matuchin Heights. Rode with Lord Sterling to the lines of the enemy, returned at 6 o’clock and preceded our escort half way, where we took leave of Gen. Washington and got to our quarters at dusk” (Lawrence, “Demere’s Journal,” 345).

2Brig. Gen. Peter Muhlenberg’s copy of the general orders for this date contains the following text at this point: “each Brige will Mount a Quarter Guard and each division furnish a Subaltern two Serjts 2 Corps and 25 Men for Pickets to Parade forthwith near the Brigade” (“Muhlenberg’s Orderly Book,” 34:26).

Index Entries