General Orders, 10 October 1776
General Orders
Head Quarters, Harlem Heights, Octob: 10th 1776
Parole: .Countersign: .
If the weather is favourable to morrow morning, the General purposes to visit the troops at their Alarm-posts. Commanding Officers of regiments, and others, are desired to make themselves well acquainted with their Alarm Posts, and the best ways to them; And also with the Ground in general, upon which they may be called to act, so as to avail themselves of every advantage. If Officers do not acquire this knowledge, they will miss the best opportunity of distinguishing themselves, and serving their Country.
If there should be any bad weather, the greatest care is to be taken of the Arms, and Ammunition; and Officers must attend to it themselves, or, from experience we know, there will be great danger of their being unfit for action.
Whenever any Field Officer is sick, leaves the Camp, or by any other means becomes incapable of duty, his Brigade Major is desired to signify it to the Adjutant General, otherwise it is impossible to have the duty regularly done.
Daniel Murphey of Capt. Edward’s Company, 3rd Pennsylvania Battalion; Thomas Dickens of Capt: Hobby’s Company Col. Ritzema’s regiment—John Stone of Capt. Grubb’s Company, Col. Brodhead’s Battalion—All having been tried by a Court Martial whereof Col. Weedon is President, and convicted of “Desertion”—are sentenced to receive 39 Lashes each—the above Daniel Murphey having been convicted by the same Court Martial of “Inlisting into another regiment”—is sentenced to receive 39 Lashes for that offence.1
The General approves the above sentences, and orders them to be executed at the usual time and place.
Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
1. These three enlisted men pleaded guilty to the charges against them at their trials on this date (see the court-martial proceedings, 10 Oct., DLC:GW). Evan Edwards (1752–1798) of Delaware County, Pa., who had been a lieutenant in the 1st Pennsylvania Regiment during 1775, became a lieutenant in the 3d Pennsylvania Regiment on 6 Jan. 1776, and he was promoted to captain on 23 March. Although Edwards was commissioned a captain in Col. Thomas Hartley’s Additional Continental Regiment on 1 Jan. 1777, he apparently served as an aide-de-camp to Gen. Charles Lee with the rank of major during much of 1777 and 1778, and in December 1778 he was Lee’s second in a duel with Lt. Col. John Laurens. When the “new” 11th Pennsylvania Regiment was formed from Hartley’s and Col. John Patton’s additional regiments in December 1778 and January 1779, Edwards became its major. He transferred to the 4th Pennsylvania Regiment in 1781 and retired on 1 Jan. 1783. Peter Grubb, Jr. (1740–1786), of Lancaster County, Pa., served as a third lieutenant in Col. William Thompson’s rifle regiment during the summer of 1775, and in March 1776 he became a captain in Col. Samuel Miles’s rifle regiment. Grubb joined the 10th Pennsylvania Regiment as a captain in November 1776, and in January 1777 he transferred to Col. John Patton’s Additional Continental Regiment. Grubb resigned his commission in July 1778.