T HE Committee confifting of Mr. Mercer, Mr. Lee, Mr. Gerry, Mr. Hafwell and Mr. Paine,\* appointed to confider of the meafures proper to be adopted in order to take poffeffion of the frontier pofts," having confidered the fame, and fundry papers to them referred, thereon beg [undecipherable] to obferve.—That to accomplifh what they conceive to be the [undecipherable] of Congrefs, "no objects appear to them fo intimately blended, and equally neceffary—the one, the taking poffeffion of the fortifications of the United States, now occupied by Britifh troops, whenever they fhall [undecipherable] and [undecipherable] the eftablifhment of fuch additional pofts as may be neceffary for defence of the weftern territory, propofed to be purchafed of the Indian inhabitants, by the United States. Your committee confider thefe meafures as connected, and indeed indifpenfible for the following [undecipherable]: 1ft. The pofts to be relinquifhed by the Britifh will extend but little protection to fettlers in the new country. The number of troops requifite to garrifon them, muft in [undecipherable] [undecipherable]. And 3dly. The eftablifhment of fuch pofts, will render others now occupied at the expence of the United States, altogether [undecipherable]. The extending of garrifons to the northward, or to the weftward of [undecipherable] can only be neceffary at this period, to protect the peltry and fur [undecipherable], to keep a watch upon our neighbours, and to prevent their encroachment on our territory. "Thefe ends—Thefe cannot be attained but by [undecipherable] confiderable force and that much detached, and whether when accompanied they will not be overbalanced by the inconveniences arifing from the great diftance of the pofts and the expence attending [undecipherable], in garrifoning them, is a queftion which your committee are unprepared to decide—Should the latter however be the opinion of Congrefs, it will become unneceffary to extend our pofts to the northwest [undecipherable] and [undecipherable]." But your committee are of opinion that all poffible difpatch fhould be ufed in making the neceffary arrangements for taking poffeffion of the other pofts, viz. Niagara, Ofwego, Fort Erie and Detroit, and as the feffion of Congrefs is probably [undecipherable] already far advanced, they recommend for this purpofe, the employment of troops now in fervice in preference to raifing others, the unavoidable delay of which might endanger the meafure. In [undecipherable] however [undecipherable] your committee find it neceffary to ftate to Congrefs an obftacle to the meafure. The troops retained in the fervice of the United States, are chiefly in the [undecipherable] [undecipherable] under various ftipulations to be [undecipherable] whilft in fervice, extra pay, amounting on an average (as your committee are informed) to more than double the pay allowed by the [undecipherable]. This great expence may have been [undecipherable] by the [undecipherable] but to detain thofe troops in the fervice of the United States, after the accomplifhment of the object for which they were engaged, without extraordinary acts from the government, muft be confidered as an act of injuftice and give rife to impediments [undecipherable] as would obftruct their march—therefore your committee judged it [undecipherable] the employment of [undecipherable] men [undecipherable]. But this [undecipherable] according to the advice of the committee, as foon as [undecipherable], on honor their terms and to propofe that the United States fhould [undecipherable] New Hampfhire and Maffachufetts, from the payment of the extra pay to men of their troops as may be required for this fervice, [undecipherable] addition to thofe [undecipherable] men. But as this extraordinary expence, can only be juftified by the moft urgent neceffity, and as the terms for which the men now in fervice are enlified, will fhortly expire, your committee conceived it their duty to prepare a plan for raifing the number of troops requifite for defence of the north weftern frontier of the United States, on œconomical and military principles—in doing this they avoided as much as poffible entering into minute details—thofe will more properly be confidered, when Congrefs determine on a peace eftablifhment, a fubject which in the opinion of your committee fhould be confidered as entirely diftinct from the prefent meafure—they have therefore, whilft they endeavoured fo to model their plan, that it may become a part of the general fyftem when adopted, confined themfelves to thofe details which is may be neceffary to promulgate for the fatisfaction of the officers and foldiers to be employed. On all which principles your committee fubmit the following report. *Refolved* That the commanding officer of the troops now in fervice of the United States, be and he is hereby directed to open a correfpondence with the commander in chief of his Britannic majefty's forces in Canada, in order to afcertain the precife time, when each of the pofts within the territories of the United States, now occupied by Britifh troops, fhall be delivered up. To: be take effectual meafures to have ready at thofe pofts, at fuch time, a fufficient number of the troops of the United States, to take poffeffion of them, viz. at the poft of | POSTS. | Colonel | L^t. Colonels | Majors | Captains | Brig^a. Lieutenants | Sergeants | D^r. & Fife | R. & File | |--------|---------|---------|--------|----------|---------|-----------|---------|---------| | Niagara | | | | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 100 | With a fufficient number of Staff officers. | | Ofwego | | | | 1 | | 1 | 1 | 30 | | Fort Erie | | | | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 20 | | Detroit | | | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 100 | | Michilimackinac | | | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 100 | | | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 6 | [undecipherable] | 4 | 350 | That he order the officers and men now ftationed at Fort Pitt, to march to fuch of the above pofts as may be moft convenient, taking care to have well fecured the ftores that remain there; and that the officers and men who fhall be neceffary in addition to them, to complete the number above detailed, be drawn from the other troops remaining in fervice. That he endeavour to effect an exchange with the Britifh commanding officers in Canada, of the cannon and ftores at the pofts to be evacuated, for cannon and ftores to be delivered at Weft Point or New-York; and if this cannot be accomplifhed, that then he caufe the conveyance of cannon and ftores requifite for thofe pofts, to be tranfported thither in the moft convenient and expeditious manner poffible. That he take meafures for fupplying the troops at thofe pofts, by contract with the neighbouring inhabitants; and if that cannot be effected, that then he caufe magazines to be erected, convenient for the transportation of fupplies from different points of the United States, taking care to open as many avenues for fupply as poffible. *Refolved*, That the inhabitants of the ftates of Maffachufetts and New Hampfhire, be exonerated from the extra pay, due by contract, to thofe foldiers who may be employed by virtue of thefe refolutions, from the time of their being fo employed; and that thofe ftates be authorized to charge the fame to the United States, to be deducted out of the requifitions of the current year; provided that it does not exceed the rate of ten dollars per man, per annum. [So large an eftablifhment as of this report does not [undecipherable] [undecipherable]] [undecipherable] men, to be employed [undecipherable] frontier of the United States; and that the different ftates furnifh their quotas in the following [undecipherable], viz. New-Hampfhire Maffachufetts Rhode-Ifland Connecticut New-York New-Jerfey Pennfylvania Delaware Maryland Virginia North-Carolina South-Carolina Georgia *Refolved*, That the troops fo raifed, be formed into three battalions of infantry, and one of artillery; and that the eftablifhment of a battalion of infantry be as follows, viz. Pay per month. | | | | dollars | |---|---|---|---| | Commanded | 1 Lieutenant colonel, | —— | 104 | | | 1 Major, | —— | 80 | | | 4 Captains, each | —— | 60 | | | 5 Lieutenants, including 1 adjutant, each | —— | 3[undecipherable] | | | 4 Enfigns, each | —— | 2[undecipherable] | | | 16 Serjeants, each | —— | [undecipherable] | | | 1 Quartermafter ferjeant, | —— | 8 | | | 1 Mufic ferjeant, | —— | 6 | | | [undecipherable] Drummers and fifers, | —— | 3 | | | 290 Privates, | —— | [undecipherable] | That the commiffioned ftaff of the 3 battalions, fhall be as follows, viz. Dollars per month: 1 Colonel, —— 1[undecipherable]0 1 Quartermafter captain, —— 60 1 Pay and cloathing mafter captain, —— 60 1 Surgeon, —— 60 5 Mates, each —— 30 II. ARTILLERY. | | | | |---|---|---| | Commiffioned | 1 Lieutenant colonel, | 120 | | | 1 Major, | 104 | | | 4 Captains, each | 80 | | | 4 Captains lieutenant, each | 50 | | | 4 Firft lieutenants, each | 35 | | | 4 Second lieutenants, each | 24 | | | 1 Adjutant lieutenant, | 35 | | | 1 Quartermafter captain, | 8[undecipherable] | | | 1 Pay and cloathing mafter captain, | 80 | | | 1 Surgeon, | 80 | | | 1 Surgeon's mate, | 35 | | | 1 Quartermafter ferjeant, | 10 | | | 1 Serjeant major, | 10 | | | 1 Mufic ferjeant, | 10 | | | 24 Serjeants, each | 6 | | | 8 Drummers and fifers, each | | | | 100 Artificers, each | 6 | | | 100 Matrofles, each | 4 | *Refolved*, That there be employed 1 adjutant general, and 1 infpector general, who fhall have each the rank and pay of major of infantry. III. ENGINEERS. *Refolved*, That there be employed three engineers, whofe rank and pay fhall be as follows, viz. Pay per month. 1 Colonel, —— 130 1 Lieutenant colonel, —— 120 1 Major, —— 104 *Refolved*, That the quartermafter captains, and pay and cloathing mafter captains, have the rank and pay of captains, and be entitled to promotion in the line as fuch, but have no companies. *Refolved*, That the above allowance of pay to commiffioners and ftaff officers, be in lieu of the pay, rations, forage and fervants heretofore allowed, and that no officer of whatever rank, or on any pretence whatever, prefume (on pain of being cafiered!) to keep a [undecipherable] fervant. *Refolved*, That the non-commiffioned officers and privates, be furnifhed with one ration per day, per man, to confift of 1lb. of bread, [undecipherable] rice, [undecipherable]lb. of falt or the frefh beef, pork or fifh, 1 gill of vinegar and [undecipherable], a gill of falt; and with cloathing in the following proportions per man, viz. Once in two years with a cloth coat, waiftcoat and overalls, and with a linen frock, 2 pair of linen overalls, 2 leathern flocks, and 1 hat Yearly. *Refolved*, That the men fo raifed, be commanded by officers who have continued in the fervice of the United States to the clofe of the late war— who fhall be felected by Congrefs, from the lines of the refpective ftates, in proportion to the quotas of men affixed by thefe refolutions. *Refolved*, That the infantry fo raifed, be diftributed in garrifons at the different pofts in manner following, viz. | | Colonels | L^t. Colonels | Majors | Captains | Lieutenants | Enfigns | Surgeons | Mates | Serjeants | D^r. & Fife | R. & File | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | North end of Lake Champlain | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | 4 | — | 50 | | Niagara | — | 1 | — | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 100 | | Ofwego and Fort Erie | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 4 | — | 50 | | Detroit | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | [undecipherable] | 2 | — | 1 | [undecipherable] | [undecipherable] | 100 | | Michilimackinac, and the carrying place at the weft end of Lake Superior | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | 1 | — | 3 | 4 | 100 | | Mouth of Scioto, and the carrying place between Scioto and Sandufly rivers | — | 1 | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | 1 | 8 | 4 | 100 | | Rapids and mouth of the Ohio, and at the mouth of Illinois river | — | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | 1 | 8 | 4 | 105 | | | 1 | 3 | 3 | 12 | [undecipherable] | 11 | 1 | 5 | 44 | 24 | 6[undecipherable]0 | *Refolved*, That the artillery be proportioned to the different pofts, in fuch manner as the commanding officer of the United States fhall judge moft expedient. [undecipherable: probable reading — *poffeffed by the latter part neceffary — within it*]