General Orders, 12 September 1778
General Orders
Head-Quarters White Plains Saturday Septr 12th 1778.
Parole RockinghamC. Signs Rye. Rippon
The troop, retreat &c. to be beat in the following manner—The Drums Call to begin at the Artillery Park a quarter of an hour before beating off and to run thro’ the Right and Left Wing and second line and be returned into the Park again.
The next signal to be three Taps from the Park runing thro’ and to be return’d in the same manner—Then the whole beat off at the hour appointed for the respective Beats: Every Fifer and Drummer to be ready to beat off after the Drummer’s Call is beat before the Taps are received.
The hours of Exercise in the afternoon are altered from four to six ôClock.
The Court-Martial whereof Coll Humpton is Presidt will sit tomorrow morning nine ôClock at the Presidents quarters near the Provost—The Members are desired to attend punctually.
The General Officers off duty agreeable to Orders of the 10th instant are desired to meet this afternoon four ôClock at the New-Dining Room, for the Purpose therein mentioned—The Field Officers of the Artillery will attend the board at that time.
A Subaltern and sixteen men from each Brigade to be paraded tomorrow morning on the Grand Parade where they will receive particular Orders to patrole the Vicinity of the Camp to pick up all public and other horses that may have stragled away.
A Surgeon and a proportionable number of Officers with a sufficiency of well men will hold themselves in readiness to assist the sick to Terrytown and from thence in boats to Fish Kills Hospitals—The Officers will see that the sick draw three days provisions.
The Brigade Surgeons to settle this Piece of duty among themselves or in failure—to be appointed by the Commander of the Brigade. The Surgeons for this service will immediately deliver to the Surgeon General at the Hospital tents the number of sick in each Brigade that the Waggons may be sent to transport them as soon as the boats are ready to receive them.
A Vessel is waiting at Terrytown for the Reception of such heavy baggage as is ordered to be sent off to transport it to Fish-Kill where it will be carefully stored. The Officers will send it in Waggons to Terrytown between this and tomorrow noon—They are desired to mark their Names on their own Baggage.
A Field Officer from Genl Muhlenberg’s Brigade is appointed to Superintend the Hospitals in Pennsylvania under the direction of Coll Chambers.
Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
On this date John Mitchell, deputy quartermaster general at Philadelphia, wrote to Assistant Quartermaster General Charles Pettit regarding supplies procured for GW: “I have now sent the Seats, Tacks & Brass Nails for 18 Camp Stools, two Pair Pistols, Holsters, Saddle Cloths, one Dozen Common knives & forks, two Copper wash hand Basons & one Copper Urinal for His Excellency I have got the China, Cups, Saucers &c. and two large China Bowls for His Excellency but the case is not yet finished I expect it will be neat & hope it will please—the 2 Mustard went some time ago—have not been able to get the Bearskin, Table Cloths & best Knives & Forks yet; but hope soon to procure them no pains shall be wanting to procure every thing he desires or wishes for.” On an attached list of the items, Mitchell mentioned that letter paper, quills, wafers, “British ink powder,” and pencils were included in the box and that he had been unable to acquire “smaller Brass Nails.” Also, “the Saddle &c. for his Excellency went in July & hope has got safe” (DLC:GW).