Samuel Huntington to George Washington, 29 April 1781
From Samuel Huntington
Philadelphia April 29. 1781
sir,
Your Excellency will receive enclosed a Resolve of Congress of the 26th Instant, authorizing the Quarter Master General to appoint Col. Champlin of Newport a Barrack Master to the French Army agreeable to the Sentiments expressed in your Letter of the 21st Instant.
Also a Resolve of the same Date with the above mentioned, affixing the Pay of Captain Lieutenant of Artillery, and of Lieutenants & Sergeants of Infantry agreeable to the Resolve of the 27th of May 1778.1
By the enclosed Resolve of the 17th Instant your Excellency will be informed that Mr J. Moylan is appointed Clothier General2—With the highest Respect & Esteem I have the Honor to be Your Excellency’s most obedient & most humble Servant
Sam. Huntington President
LS, DLC:GW; LB, DNA:PCC, item 15. GW’s aide-de-camp Tench Tilghman wrote “Ansd 6th May” on the docket of the LS, but GW replied to Huntington on 8 May (DNA:PCC, item 152). For the announcement of the measures related to pay and the new clothier general, see General Orders, 5 May.
1. The enclosed congressional resolutions adopted on 26 April read: “Resolved, That the Quarter Master General be and he is hereby authorised to appoint Col. Champlin of Newport a barrack master to the french Army, and to annex to that office a salary not exceeding the pay of an Assistant deputy quarter master.
“Resolved, That the pay of Captain Lieuts. of Artillery and of lieutenants and Serjeants of Infantry be paid in bills of the new emission at the rates fixed for the pay of those officers and noncommissioned Officers respectively on the 27 day of May 1778 any former resolution of Congress to the contrary hereof notwithstanding” (DLC:GW; see also GW to Huntington, 21 April; Béville to GW, 2 May; and Timothy Pickering to GW, 4 May). For the new congressional monetary policy, see Philip Schuyler to GW, 12 March 1780, and notes 3 and 4. The resolution that Congress adopted on 27 May 1778 had reformed the Continental army and established monthly pay rates for each rank (see General Orders, 7 June 1778).
2. The enclosed congressional resolution adopted on 17 April and related congressional proceedings read: “Resolved That the cloathier General before he enters into Office shall give bond in such sum as the Board of treasury shall think sufficient with two or more sufficient sureties for the due performance of his Office, which bond shall be lodged in the treasury Office.
“Congress proceeded to the election of a cloathier general and the ballots being taken—Mr John Moylan was elected” (DLC:GW; see also , 19:401–2, 20:505, and GW to Huntington, 24 March, and n.6).