George Washington Papers

General Orders, 9 January 1778

General Orders

Head-Quarters V. Forge Jany 9th 1778.

Parole: Blenheim—Countersigns: Bolton Bergen—

The execution of John Reily is respited ’till tomorrow ten ôClock in the forenoon, when the detachments from the several brigades are to attend on the grand parade.1

Some doubts having arisen with respect to the manner in which the pay-rolls for the months extraordinary pay should be made up; the proceeding therein is to be stayed ’till further Orders.2

The regimental Pay-Masters are to bring in their abstracts for the month of November for examination.

The Major Generals & Brigadiers (or Officers commanding the brigades) of each division are to fix on some suitable ground near their respective Brigades where hospitals may be erected, one for the sick of each Brigade, and as soon as the men can be possibly spared from working at the huts, they are to erect these hospitals—The officers who shall be appointed to superintend this work will receive directions therefor at the Adjutant Genl’s Office.3

The Brigade Quarter Masters are as soon as possible to make Racks for all the horses of their brigades to prevent a waste of forage.

The General is informed that many Officers are frequently passing out of Camp without leave; That practice is positively forbiden; and no officer is to go beyond the limits of the camp without written license from the Major General or Brigr of the division or brigade to which he belongs.

Each Briga[d]e4 Quarter Master is to come to morrow in the forenoon to receive the iron Ovens for their brigades.

Varick transcript, DLC:GW.

Brig. Gen. Edward Hand’s orderly book for this date includes an order for a fatigue party of fifty-four men from Paterson’s, Weedon’s and Muhlenberg’s brigades “to parade at Fatland ford at the eight o’clock to-morrow-morning.” Hand’s orderly book also contains these additional orders: “The order of yesterday for a return of armourers was intended to include all the gunsmiths in the respective brigades. Those returns are to be made to-morrow at orderly time. . . . A subaltern and eight men from Scott’s—1st Pensylvania—2d ditto—Poor’s—Maxwell’s—Conway’s—& Glover’s brigades, are to parade to-morrow morning, at nine o’clock, on the grand parade, prepared for a week’s command” (DNA: RG 93, Orderly Books, 1775–1783, vol. 20).

1Samuel Armstrong, a second lieutenant in the 8th Massachusetts Regiment, wrote in his diary on 10 Jan. that “This day there was a Man Hung here for Desertion and Carr[y]ing two Criminals away with him, he was a Roman Catholick & a very Ignorant fellow to look at, if one may Judge from appearance. he was allowed the priviledge of a Chaplin but as there was none of his persuasion they could not think it very Essential & at the time he [s]wung off” (Boyle, “Armstrong’s Diary,” description begins Joseph Lee Boyle. “From Saratoga to Valley Forge: The Diary of Lt. Samuel Armstrong.” Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 121 (1997): 237–70. description ends 261–62).

3The adjutant general’s office was opposite GW’s quarters on the west side of Valley Creek, possibly in a structure known as the Mansion House, also claimed to be the site of Steuben’s quarters (see Bodle and Thibaut, Valley Forge Research Report description begins Wayne K. Bodle and Jacqueline Thibaut. Valley Forge Historical Research Report. 3 vols. Valley Forge, Pa., 1980. description ends , 3:84–87).

4This word was mistakenly written “Brigage” on the manuscript.

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