General Orders, 30 March 1779
General Orders
Head-Quarters Middle-Brook Tuesday March 30th 1779.
Parole Falkland—C. Signs Farnham. Ferrol—
Major Generals Greene and Lord-Stirling and Brigadiers General Smallwood, Knox, and Muhlenberg are requested to meet at General Greene’s quarters on thursday next at ten ôClock in the morning to take into consideration a dispute of rank between Majors Mentzges, Murray and Nichols of the Pennsylvania line—They are to make report to the Commander in Chief.1
The General Court Martial of the line whereof Colonel Williams is president is dissolved2 and another ordered to sit next thursday 10 ôClock A.M. at the usual place to try all such persons as shall come before the Court.
Colonel Butler to preside.
Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
Adj. Gen. Alexander Scammell’s orderly book entry for this date ends with at least one mutilated order designating Pennsylvania troops for fatigue duty (orderly book, 22 Dec. 1778–26 June 1779, DNA: RG 93, Orderly Books, 1775–1783, vol. 28).
1. The following Thursday was 1 April. For a discussion of the rank dispute involving these three Pennsylvania majors, see Peter Scull to GW, 22 Feb., n.1. For the board’s reports, see a Board of General Officers to GW, 1 and 23 April (DLC:GW), and General Orders, 3 May; see also GW to the Board of War, 8 April and 18 May; the Board of War to GW, 13 April; and Peter Scull to GW, 21 May (all DLC:GW).
2. Col. Otho Holland Williams had been appointed president of this court-martial in the general orders of 1 March.