General Orders, 30 May 1780
General Orders
Head Quarters Morristown Tuesday May 30th 80
Parole Fortune. Countersigns Fame; France.
[Officers] Of the Day Tomorrow[:] Colonel Livingston[,] Major Trescott[,] Brigade Major 2nd Connecticut brigade
For manœuvring Tomorrow morning 6 o clock Lieutenant Colonels Commandant Butler and Hubly; Majors Torrey and Stewart; Brigade Major 1st Connecticut Brigade to attend the formation of the Battalions; Hand’s and Stark’s Brigades give the Adjutants; Colours from the 2nd Connecticut and Stark’s.1
The Commander in Chief is pleased to Order a release of all prisoners now under Confinement except prisoners of war and those of the Connecticutt Brigade who were confined for Mutiny;2 Obrian late Provost Marshal to return to his duty in the Regiment from whence he was taken.3
At a General Court martial of the Line whereof Colonel Ganzevoort is President May 20th Mr Alexander Church superintendant of Co[n]tinental horses was tried.4
1st For supporting at public Expence 6 horses or more which he claimed as private property.
2dly For appropriating to his own use a Waggon and four horses which he claimed as his own and for receiving public hire for the same, and public Forage for the Horses.
3dly For permitting two men employed under him to purchase poor horses in the Continental Yard and fatten them on public Forage.
4thly For taking a horse out of the Continental Yard at his own estimation or price of Thirty three dollars which was worth one Thousand and for feeding him on public Forage.
The Court are of opinion that the Charges are not supported and do therefore fully acquit Mr Church.
The Commander in Chief approves the opinion of the Court.
Mr Church is released from his Arrest.
Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
GW’s warrant book for this date shows that Maj. Caleb Gibbs received $4,300 “for the Commander in Chief” (Revolutionary War Warrant Book 5, 1780–1783, DLC:GW, ser. 5). On 1 June, Gibbs wrote a receipt: “Received of the Dy Pay Master General four thousand three hundred dollars for the use of defraying the expence of His Excellency General Washington’s family which I am to Account for” (Revolutionary War Receipt Book, 1776–1780, DLC:GW, ser. 5).
On this date GW’s aide-de-camp Richard Kidder Meade wrote Maj. Gen. Robert Howe from headquarters: “I am directed by His Excy to request that you will be pleased, on the arrival of the Marquis’s baggage at Fish kill to furnish Monsr Captain who has the charge of it, with a guard. As a letter will be lodged with Col. Hay for this Gentn directing him to come on with the baggage, & the Villains between this & the north river have commenced, their robberies—it may not be safe, to send less than a Commission’d Officer & Twenty Men with it. … I take the liberty to inclose the letter for Col. Hay—& beg that it may be forwarded to him the first opportunity” (DLC:GW). “Monsr Captain” refers to Michel Capitaine du Chesnoy, an aide-de-camp to Major General Lafayette. The letter to Lt. Col. Udny Hay has not been identified.
1. Another orderly book includes additional general orders: “the Pensylvania Division gives a Capt and Six men as A Horse Guard … to be Relevd Weekly the Connecticut Division gives a Capt & four men as A Guard for the QM Genl they are to be Releved Every two Days” (, 331).
2. For the mutiny in the Connecticut line, see Return Jonathan Meigs to GW, 26 May.
3. Thomas O’Brian, a matross in the 3d Continental Artillery, had been appointed temporary provost marshal in the general orders for 9 March.
4. Although appointed on 21 May to sit the next day, this general court-martial began on 23 May (see General Orders, 21 May; and , 331).
Alexander Church maintained the Continental horse yards at New Windsor, N.Y., with the principal duty of distributing horses procured for army use.