1. Reed enclosed “The Memorial of the Officers of Artillery” from Pennsylvania, dated 20 March and directed to “the Supreme Executive Council.” The document, “Signed in behalf of the Officers aforesaid” by Capt. Isaac Craig (DLC:GW), reads: “That by a Resolve of Congress Officers were to rise in the Line of their respective States only, which Mode we expected would still have been adhered to; but We have reason to beleive there is a Plan now in Agitation and vey strenuously pressed, to introduce a Contrary Mode, to wit, ‘That all Promotions shall take place in the whole Line of Artillery without respect to States’—which Mode we conceive would be highly injurious to your Memorialists, as it will in all probability disperse us to the most distant States, separating Us from our Families, and rendering it extremely difficult if not impossible to receive those Supplies which this State has so generously allowed her Troops—And As your Memorialists do not wish for Promotion in any Regiment out of this State, so they most humbly Request that the Honorable Council might be pleased to interpose, and not suffer Strangers to fill up such Vacancies as now are, or hereafter may happen in the Regiment of Artillery belonging to this Common Wealth—An Instan⟨ce⟩ of which (unless timely prevented by your Interposition) will shortly take place by preferring a Captain from the State of Masechusets to the Majority of the Regiment in Question—Your Memorialists beg your Attention to the proceedings of the New England States in a former Arrangement of their Troops, whereby several Officers were dismissed for no other Reason than their not being Inhabitants thereof—Your Memorialists therefore humbly refer this important Matter to the Honorable Council praying their immediate interference and Exertions And that such relief be afforded as in Your Wisdom may seem meet.” Benjamin Eustis was the artillery officer from Massachusetts who became major of Col. Thomas Proctor’s 4th Continental Artillery Regiment.

Reed also enclosed an extract from the Pennsylvania Supreme Executive Council minutes for 21 March that acknowledged consideration of the memorial from the artillery officers. The council then resolved: “That the interposition of this Board in a matter of Continental Concern wherein the rights and interests of Officers of other states may be concerned and the general arrangements affected is a point of t[o]o much delicacy to be assumed by this Board farther than to forward the said Memorial to His Excellency the Commander in Chief in whose wisdom prudence and justice the Memorialists may safely confide” (DLC:GW; see also Pa. Col. Records description begins Colonial Records of Pennsylvania. 16 vols. Harrisburg, 1840–53. description ends , 12:286–87).