In Congress, 27th May, 1778 : Establishment of the American Army.
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I.
INFANTRY.
RESOLVED, That each battalion of infantry shall consist of nine companies, one of which shall be of light infantry;
the light infantry to be kept compleat by drafts from the battalion, and organized during the campaign into corps of light
infantry:
That the battalion of infantry consist of
Pay per month.
Commissioned:
1 Colonel and Captain ..........
75 dollars.
1 Lieutenant Colonel and Captain, .......... 60
1 Major, .......... 50
6 Captains, .......... each
.......... 40
1 Captain Lieutenant, .......... 26 2-3
8 Lieutenants, .......... each .......... 26 2-3
9 Ensigns,
.......... each .......... 20
to be taken from the line:
Paymaster, .......... 20
Adjutant, .......... 13
Quartermaster,
.......... 13
in addition to their their pay as officers in the line.
.......... Pay per month.
1 Surgeon, ..........
60 dollars.
1 Surgeon's Mate, .......... 40
1 Serjeant Major, .......... 10
1 Quartermaster-Serjeant, ..........
10
27 Serjeants, .......... each .......... 10
1 Drum Major, ..........
1 Fife Major, ..........
18 Drums
and Fifes, .......... each .......... 7 1-3
27 Corporals, .......... each .......... 7 1-3
477 Privates, ..........
each .......... 6 2-3
Each of the field officers to command a company.
The Lieutenant of the Colonel's company to
have the rank of Captain Lieutenant.
II. ARTILLERY
That a battalion of artillery consist of
.......... Pay
per month.
Commissioned: 1 Colonel, .......... 100 dollars.
1 Lieutenant Colonel, .......... 75
1 Major, ..........
62 1-2
12 Captains, .......... each .......... 50
12 Captain Lieutenants, .......... each .......... 33 1-3
12
First Lieutenants, .......... each .......... 33 1-3
36 Second Lieutenants, .......... each .......... 33 1-3
Paymaster,
Adjutant, Quartermaster,
to be taken from the line.
25 .......... 16 .......... 16
in addition to
their pay
as officers in the line.
1 Surgeon, .......... 75
.......... Pay per month.
1 Surgeon's Mate, .......... [?]dollars.
1 Serjeant Major, .......... [?] [?]-90ths.
1 Quartermaster-Serjeant, .......... [?] 23-90ths.
1 Fife Major, ..........
10 38-90ths.
1 Drum Major, .......... 10 38-90ths.
72 Serjeants, .......... each .......... 10
72 Bombardiers,
.......... each ..........
72 Corporals, .......... each ..........
72 Gunners, .......... each .......... 8 2-3ds.
24 Drums and Fifes, .......... each .......... 8 2-3ds.
336 Matrosses, .......... each .......... 8 1-3d.
III.
CAVALRY.
That a battalion of cavalry consist of:
.......... Pay per month.
.......... dol.
Commissioned: 1
Colonel, .......... 93 3-4ths.
1 Lieutenant Colonel, .......... 75
1 Major, .......... 60
6 Captains, ..........
each .......... 50
12 Lieutenants, .......... each .......... 33 1-3d.
6 Cornets, .......... each .......... 26 2-3ds.
1 Riding Master, .......... 33 1-3d.
Paymaster, Adjutant, Quartermaster,
to be taken from the line.
25 ..........
15 .......... 15
their pay as officers in the line.
.......... Pay per month.
1 Surgeon, .......... 60 dollars.
1 Surgeon's Mate, .......... 40
1 Sadler, .......... 10
1 Trumpet Major, .......... 11
6 Farriers, ..........
each .......... 10
6 Quartermaster Serjeants, .......... each .......... 15
6 Trumpeters, .......... each ..........
10
12 Serjeants, .......... each .......... 15
30 Corporals, .......... each .......... 10
324 Dragoons, ..........
each .......... 8 1-3d.
IIII. PROVOST.
RESOLVED, That a Provost be established, to consist of:
..........
Pay per month.
1 Captain of Provosts, .......... 50 dollars.
4 Lieutenants, .......... each .......... 33 1-3d.
1
Clerk, .......... 33 1-3d.
1 Quartermaster Serjeant, .......... 15
2 Trumpeters, .......... each .......... 10
2
Serjeants, .......... each .......... 15
5 Corporals, .......... each .......... 10
43 Provosts or Privates, ..........
each .......... 8 1-3d.
4 Executioners, .......... each .......... 10
This corps to be mounted on horse-back, and
armed and accoutred as light dragoons.
RESOLVED, That in the ENGINEERING Department three companies be established,
each to consist of
.......... Pay per month.
1 Captain, .......... 50 dollars.
3 Lieutenants, .......... each
.......... 33 1-3d.
4 Serjeants, .......... each .......... 10
4 Corporals, .......... each .......... 9
60 Privates,
.......... each .......... 8 1-3d.
These companies to be instructed in the fabrication of field works as far as relates
to the manual and mechanical part. Their business shall be to instruct the fatigue parties to do their duty with celerity
and exactness: to repair injuries done to the works by the enemy's fire, and to prosecute works in the face of it. The commissioned
officers to be skilled in the necessary branches of the mathematics: the non-commissioned officers to write a good hand.
RESOLVED,
That the Adjutant and Quartermaster of a regiment be nominated by the field officers out of the subalterns, and presented
to the commander in chief or the commander in a separate department for approbation; and that being approved of, they shall
receive from him a warrant agreeable to such nomination
That the Paymaster of a regiment be chosen by the officers
of the regiment out of the Captains or Subalterns, and appointed by warrant as above: the officers are to risque their pay
in his hands: the Paymasters to have the charge of the cloathing, and to distribute the same.
RESOLVED, That the Brigade
Majors be appointed as heretofore by the commander in chief, or commander in a separate department, out of the Captains in
the Brigade to which he shall be appointed:
That the Brigade Quartermaster be appointed by the Quartermaster General,
out of the Captains or Subalterns in the brigade to which he shall be appointed.
RESOLVED, That two Aids-de-Camp be
allowed to each Major General, who shall for the future appoint them out of the Captains or Subalterns.
RESOLVED,
That in addition to their pay as officers in the line there be allowed to
An Aid-de-Camp, .......... 24 dollars per month.
Brigade Major, .......... 24
Brigade Quartermaster, .......... 15
RESOLVED, That when any of the staff officers
appointed from the line are promoted above the ranks in the line out of which they are respectively appointable, their staff
appointments shall thereupon be vacated:
The present Aids-de-Camp and Brigade Majors to receive their present pay
and rations.
RESOLVED, That Aids-de-Camp, Brigade Majors, and Brigade Quartermasters, heretofore appointed from the
line, shall hold their present ranks and be admissible into the line again in the same rank they held when taken from the
line; provided that no Aid, Brigade Major or Quartermaster shall have the command of any officers who commanded him while
in the line.
RESOLVED, That whenever the Adjutant General shall be appointed from the line, he may continue to hold
his rank and commission in the line.
RESOLVED, That, when supernumerary Lieutenants are continued under this arrangement
of the battalions, who are to do the duty of Ensigns, they shall be intitled to hold their rank and to receive the pay such
rank intitled them to receive.
RESOLVED, That no more Colonels be appointed in the infantry; but where any such commission
is or shall become vacant, the battalion shall be commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel, who shall be allowed the same pay as
is now granted to a Colonel of infantry, and shall rise in promotion from that to the rank of Brigadier: and such battalion
shall have only two field officers, viz. a Lieutenant Colonel and Major, but it shall have an additional Captain.
29th
MAY, 1778.
RESOLVED, That [?] [?] appointed upon the civil staff of the army shall hold or be intitled to any rank
in the army by virtue of [?] civilian appointment.
2d JUNE, 1778.
RESOLVED, That the officers herein after
mentioned be intitled to draw one ration a day, and no more; that where they shall not draw such ration, they shall not be
allowed any compensation in lieu thereof.
And to the end that they may be enabled to live in a manner becoming their
stations,
RESOLVED, That the following sums be paid to them monthly for their subsistence, viz. to every Colonel 50
dollars per month; to every Lieutenant Colonel 40 dollars; to every Major 30 dollars; to every captain 20 dollars; to every
Lieutenant and Ensign 10 dollars; to every Regimental Surgeon 30 dollars; to every Regimental Surgeon's Mate 10 dollars; to
every Chaplain of a brigade 50 dollars.
RESOLVED, That subsistance money be allowed to officers and others on the
staff in lieu of extra rations, and that henceforward none of them be allowed to draw more than one ration a day.
ORDERED,
That the Committee of Arrangement be directed to report to Congress as soon as possible such an allowance as they shall think
adequate to the station of the respective officers and persons employed on the staff.
Extracts from the Minutes,
CHARLES
THOMSON, Secretary.
YORK-TOWN: PRINTED BY JOHN DUNLAP.
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