January 20, 1780.-A board of commissioners (one of whom to be a member of Congress) was appointed to inquire into the expenses of the staff departments, to discharge supernumerary and delinquent officers and men, to stop all issues of rations and other supplies not indispensably necessary for the service; any two of them, in conjunction with General Washington, to adopt any proper measures for promoting economy in those departments. January 21 Congress elected Mr. Schuyler and Colonel Pickering, and January 22 General Thomas Mifflin.

March 11, 1780.

Resolved, That every officer who by such regulation [of the Commander in Chief] shall be entitled to a servant, and who shall enlist, to serve during the war, a youth not under fifteen nor exceeding eighteen years of age, and who from appearances is likely to prove an able-bodied soldier, such officer shall retain the youth so enlisted as his servant, until, in the opinion of the Inspector-General, or one of the subinspectors, he shall be fit to bear arms, and the youth shall receive the bounty money, clothing, pay, and rations of a soldier; and the officer to whom such servant shall be attached is not to be allowed a man out of the ranks, on any pretense whatsoever, while such servant remains with him The like allowance of clothing, pay, and rations shall be given to any officer entitled as aforesaid to a servant who shall bring into the field with him a servant of his own

April 10, 1780.

Resolved, That when Congress shall be furnished with proper documents to liquidate the depreciation of the continental bills of credit, they will, as soon thereafter as the state of the public finances will admit, make good to the lines of the Army, and the independent corps thereof, the deficiency of their original pay, occasioned by such depreciation; and that the money and articles heretofore paid or furnished, or hereafter to be paid or furnished by Congress or the States, or any of them, as for pay, subsistence, or to compensate for deficiency, shall be deemed as advanced on account, until such liquidation as aforesaid shall be adjusted, it being the determination of Congress that all the troops serving in the Continental Army shall be placed on an equal footing: Provided, That no person shall have any benefit of this resolution except such as were engaged during the war, or for three years, and are now in service, or shall hereafter engage during the war for three years and are now in service, or shall hereafter engage during the war.

April 13, 1780.-Messrs. Schuyler, Matthews and Peabody constituted a committee to confer with General Washington and the chiefs of departments, with a view to remedying defects and perfecting the arrangement of the several staff departments. April 14, 1780.-Congress tendered their thanks to General Millin and Colonel Pickering for their attention to the business committed to them, manifested in their plan for the arrangements of the staff departments, which has been referred to a committee (Messrs. Schuyler, Matthews and Peabody), who are to consult the Commander in Chief and the heads of the staff departments.

June 14, 1780.-General Gates was authorized to appoint all staff officers necessary for the organization of the Southern Army.

S. Doc. 229-2

June 18, 1780.-"As it is at all times of great importance, both for the sake of appearance and for the regularity of service, that the different military ranks should be distinguished from each other and more especially at present, the Commander in Chief has thought proper to establish the following distinctions and strongly recommends it to all the officers to endeavor to conform to them as speedily as possible: The major-generals to wear a blue coat with buff facings and linings, yellow buttons, white or buff under cloth, two epaulettes, with two stars upon each, and a black and white feather in the hat. The brigadier-generals, the same uniform as the major-generals with the difference of one star instead of two and a white feather. The colonels, lieutenant-colonels, and majors, the uniforms of their regiments and two epaulettes. The captains, the uniforms of their regiments and an epaulette on the right shoulder. The subalterns, the uniform of their regiment and an epaulette on the left shoulder. The aides-de-camp, the uniforms of their ranks and corps, or if they belong to no corps, of their general officers. Those of the majorgenerals and brigadier-generals to have a green feather in the hat; those of the Commander in Chief, a white and green. The inspectors-as well sub as brigadethe uniforms of their ranks and corps with a blue feather in the hat. The Corps of Engineers and that of sappers and miners, a blue coat with buff facings, red lining, buff under cloth, and the epaulettes of their respective ranks. Such of the staff as have military rank to wear the uniforms of their ranks and of the corps to which they belong in the line; such as have no military rank to wear plain coats with cockade and sword. All officers, as well warrant as commissioned, to wear a cockade and side arms, either a sword or genteel bayonet. The general recommends it to the officers as far as practicable to provide themselves with the uniforms prescribed for their respective corps by the regulations of —, published in general orders, the 2d of October last." (Orders, General Headquarters, Short Hills.)

July 14, 1780.—"It was omitted in the general order of the 18th of June last to mention that the Adjutant-General and his assistants are to wear a red and green feather in their hats and the uniforms of their corps." (Orders, General Headquarters, Pracaness.)

July 15, 1780.

Resolved, That any of the said officers entitled to forage, who shall keep their horses at their own expense, when in camp, or when absent from the Army on public service, shall be allowed as much daily for the forage so found as shall be certified by the deputy quartermaster of the State in which the Army may be, to be the net current cost of a ration of forage, every officer claiming such payment producing a certificate from the forage master, from whom he usually draws, that he had not drawn forage from him during the time charged for, and certifying upon honor that he hath drawn no public forage whatever during the said time, on which a certificate shall pass from the commissary of forage, or deputy, to the Quartermaster-General's auditor, for settlement of the same, not exceeding the current net cost of the ration as settled by the quartermaster of the State: Provided, That no officer on furlough shall be entitled to draw forage or pay for the same for any time he is absent beyond the time allowed him by his furlough.

July 19, 1780.-"The feathers directed to be worn by major-generals are to have the white below, the black above. It will be best to have one feather, the upper part black. It is recommended to the officers to have black and white cockadesa black ground with a white relief-emblematic of the expected union of the two armies." (Orders, General Headquarters, Pracaness.)

Resolved,

August 12, 1780.

That the officers (of the Army) shall hereafter be allowed five dollars per month in the said new bills [emission of March 18, 1780] for each retained ration.

That the provisions for granting lands by the resolution of September 16, 1776, be, and is hereby, extended to the general officers, in the following proportion: To a major-general, 1,100 acres; a brigadiergeneral. 850 acres.

Resolved,

August 24, 1780.

That if it shall appear that the subsistence money allowed to officers in lieu of the rations withheld is not equal to the cost of the rations, the deficiency shall hereafter be made up to them. Resolved, That the resolution of the 15th day of May, 1778, granting half pay for seven years to the officers of the Army who should continue in service to the end of the war, be extended to the widows of those officers who have died or shall hereafter die in the service; to commence from the time of such officers' death, and continue for the term of seven years; or if there be no widow, or in case of her death or intermarriage, the said half pay be given to the orphan children of the officer dying as aforesaid, if he shall have left any, and that it be recommended to the legislatures of the respective States to which such officers belong, to make provision for paying the same, on account of the United States.

That the restricting clause in the resolution of May 15, 1778, granting half pay to the officers for seven years, expressed in these words, viz, "And not hold any office of profit under these States, or any of them," be, and is hereby, repealed.

August 29, 1780.-"As black and red feathers have been furnished the division of light infantry to distinguish it from the rest of the Army, they are not to be worn by any officers or soldiers but those who belong to it." (Orders, General Headquarters, Tean Neck.)

November 29, 1780.

Resolved, That the act of Congress of the 8th of January last, providing for the payment of officers' horses killed in action, be extended to such officers entitled to keep them who shall have their horses wounded and disabled in action, provided the horses so wounded and disabled be delivered to the department of the Quartermaster-General.

January 26, 1781.

Resolved, That the allowance of five dollars per month to the officers of the Army for each retained ration, granted by an act of the 12th of August last, shall commence on the 1st day of August, 1780.

June 13, 1781.-Congress declared that until it shall be able to liquidate the depreciation of the continental bill of credit, on the principles established in the resolution of April 10, 1780, that the money paid by the States to compensate officers of the Army shall be deemed as advanced on account until adjustment by Congress of such liquidation.

September 30, 1781.—“All officers and others are strictly forbid, for obvious reasons, to wear red coats." (Orders, General Headquarters, Secretary's Quarter.)

October 30, 1781.-"In pursuance of the determination of a board of general officers setting forth the means by which the officers of the Army may receive a general benefit from that article of the Capitulation which entitles them to a right of preemption of the goods in the possession of the traders in York and Gloucester, at the time of the surrender of these posts, the Commander in Chief is pleased to direct that every officer who came here with this Army (coming under the following description) receive on account of his pay to the amount of twenty pounds (dollars, at six shilThe officers of the hospital, lings) each, viz: the QuartermasterGeneral, the Commissary-General, and their deputies; but not to include the deputies

* * *

*

*

*

* *

of deputies. * Heads of departments not connected with brigades are themselves to purchase for the persons entitled or give written authority to one person in their respective departments to do it for them. The brigades and corps, having balloted for priority of purchase, are to be served in the following order, viz:

*

*

*

*

7, sappers and miners; 8, 9, 10, the Quarter[master]'s, Commissary's, and Hospital departments. * * The persons appointed to purchase for each brigade and separate department will have a certificate of their appointment from Major-General St. Clair. * * The regimental paymaster to take receipts from each officer, as so much pay, and transmit an account of the aggregate sum to the Paymaster-General, to be by him charged to the regiment. Where officers are unconnected with brigades, their amounts to be transmitted to the Paymaster-General by the general officers to whom they are attached and the heads of departments to which they belong. Until the purchases above authorized are completed and the same announced by a general order, no person whatever is permitted to purchase on private account." (Orders, General Headquarters, New York.)

*

*

*

*

*

*

* *

January 19, 1782.-"Commanding officers of corps are not in future to furnish servants or waggoners from their corps on any pretext whatever, without an express order from the Commander in Chief or officer commanding the Army. Officers actually belonging to corps and serving with them are to be allowed servants from their respective corps, in the following proportions, viz: * No * * * doctor to take a convalescent from the hospital for a servant on pain of being tried by a court-martial. The general and military staff and officers not belonging to corps are to be allowed servants in the following proportions, and when they are not otherwise provided may take them from the Army, viz: Major-general, four servants; brigadier-general, four servants; colonel, two servants (without arms); lieutenant-colonel, one servant (without arms); major, one servant (without arms); captain, one servant (without arms); aide-de-camp, one servant (without arms); major of brigade, one servant (without arms). (Orders, General Headquarters, Philadelphia.)

Resolved, That warrants

April 8, 1782.

the Secretary at War

issue his

to the head of each department for the pay and rations due to each department; that the accounts for the pay and rations of each department in the Army from January 1, 1782, shall be made out at the end of every month, and be transmitted to the War Office for examination and warrants.

That the manner of making the payments, of keeping the accounts, be regulated by the Secretary at War.

Resolved,

April 10, 1782.

That estimates and returns from the different departments be lodged at the War Office, to be examined and approved of by the Secretary at War.

April 22, 1782.

Resolved, That from and after the first day of May next all resolves of Congress heretofore passed relative to rations, subsistence, or allowances to officers, over and above their pay and what they are entitled to from the Quartermaster's Department, . be, and they are hereby, repealed; that from and after the first day of May next each officer shall be entitled to draw daily the number of rations, affixed to their several ranks, viz:

All officers in the line of the Army employed in any of the staff departments shall be entitled, while acting therein, to draw the same number of rations and like subsistence to which they are entitled by their ranks in the Army; and when any persons, not in the line of the Army, are employed in any of the staff departments, they shall be entitled to draw the same number of rations and subsistence as officers of the line acting in similar stations in the staff with them are entitled to draw.

No compensation shall hereafter be made to those officers who may neglect to draw rations to which they are entitled.

August 7, 1782.—"Honorary badges of distinction are to be conferred on the veteran noncommissioned officers and soldiers of the Army, who have served more than three years with bravery, fidelity, and good conduct; for this purpose a narrow piece of white cloth of an angular form is to be fixed to the left arm on the uniform coats. Noncommissioned officers and soldiers, who have served with equal reputation more than six years, are to be distinguished by two pieces of cloth set on parallel to each other in a similar form."

"The general, ever desirous to cherish virtuous ambition in his soldiers, as well as to foster and encourage every species of military merit, directs that whenever any singularly meritorious action is performed, the author of it shall be permitted to wear on his facings over the left breast, the figure of a heart in purple cloth or silk, edged with narrow lace or binding.” (Orders, General Headquarters, Newburgh.) August 11, 1782.-"The badges which noncommissioned officers and soldiers are permitted to wear on the left arm, as a mark of long and faithful service, are to be of the same color, with the facings of the corps they belong to, and not white in every instance as directed in the orders of the 7th instant." (Orders, General Headquarters, Newburgh.)

October 23, 1782.

Resolved, That any of the officers entitled to forage, who shall keep their horses at their own expense, shall be paid therefor by the Quartermaster-General at the average price given by him for the forage of the Army.

December 3, 1782.

Resolved, That after the last day of December inst., in lieu of the rations hitherto allowed to officers of the Army, including those for servants, they shall be allowed subsistence money at the rate of four dollars per month for each ration; provided that where circumstances in any case shall not permit the payment of such subsistence money, they shall draw their rations as heretofore.

December 6, 1782.-"The honorable Secretary at War having been pleased to direct that the uniform of the American cavalry and infantry shall in future be blue ground with red facings and white linings and buttons, the General gives this early notice that provision may be made accordingly before the Army shall receive their clothing for the present year. The Corps of Artillery is to retain the present uniform, and the sappers and miners will have the same. (Orders, General Headquarters, Newburgh.)

December 13, 1782.

Resolved, That every officer whose duty requires his being on horseback who shall have his horse killed, or wounded, or disabled by the enemy, or whose horse shall fall into the enemy's hands without his own manifest fault or misconduct, shall be entitled to receive from the Quartermaster-General or his deputy the just value of such horse, to be appraised on oath, or on honor of the appraisers, if commissioned officers, provided the same does not exceed 120 dollars; provided also,