General Orders, 12 March 1776
General Orders
Head Quarters, Cambridge, March 12th 1776
Parole Niagara.Countersign Thompson.1
An Abstract of the pay of the commissioned Officers of each of the established Regiments, for January, to be deliver’d, as soon as possible to the Adjutant General, signed by the Colonel, or Officer commanding each regiment.
The Director General and Surgeons of the hospital, to proceed in the examination of the regimental Surgeons & Mates, who are required to attend for that purpose, at such time, and place, as may be appointed; of which they will receive timely notice; when the examination is finished, report is to be made of the same, that Commissions may be made out for those, who are approv’d of as duly qualified.2
The Colonels in making out the pay Abstracts for their Officers, for January, are to be careful to see that each Officer is charged only from the day of his being appointed.
The General Court Martial of which Col. Phinney was president is dissolved.
Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
Stephen Moylan on this date wrote to Col. Loammi Baldwin at Chelsea: “it is the Generals order that you Send down a party of men, to Save the Cargo on board the Schooner, now on Shore at pudding [Pullen] point, the right of property will be hereafter determind[.] Andrew Dewksbury will deliver you this, who Says he has saved the Schooner from the hands of the enemy” (MH: Baldwin Papers).
1. These watchwords are the same as those in the General Orders for 11 March. Artemas Ward’s orderly book gives the parole for 12 Mar. as “Fairfax” and the countersign as “Kent” (MHi: Ward Papers).
2. GW directed John Morgan and the hospital surgeons to begin these examinations in the General Orders for 25 Feb. 1776.