General Orders, 8 June 1777
General Orders
Head-Quarters, Middle-Brook June 8th 1777.
Parole: Mifflin.Countersigns: Munster. Milford.
By intelligence from different quarters, there is much reason to believe the enemy are on the eve of some important operation—This makes it absolutely necessary, that the whole army should hold themselves, in constant readiness to move at a moments warning; and for that purpose they are to be always furnished with three days provision, ready cooked—Officers to take care that their men carry their own packs; and to suffer none but invalids to put their arms, or packs into the waggons.
The Quarter Master General to settle with the Brigadiers, the proper allowance of waggons for their respective brigades; and to furnish them, or make up any deficiency immediately.
All arms delivered out of the public stores, or purchased by officers for the use of the Continent; to be branded without loss of time, agreeable to former orders.1
For the future none but printed furloughs to be given to soldiers—Any soldier absent from his corps with only a written furlough, will be taken up, and his furlough deemed a forgery—This to be advertised in the public papers of each state.
A return to be made to morrow of the Chaplains in each brigade, specifying where they are.
Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
Lincoln’s orderly book includes the following order at the beginning of the general orders for this date: “A detachment of three captains, Six Subalterns, nine Serjeants and one hundred and fifty privates to parade tomorrow morning at 6 O’Clock at General Weedons parade with four days provision, Lieutenant Colonel Butler is to command this party, and receive his orders from Major General Green” (MHi: Lincoln Papers; see also “Heth’s Orderly Book,” 345).
Lincoln’s orderly book also includes the following “After orders” for this date: “A detachment of one Captain, three subalterns, four serjeants, and 65 privates from each of the following brigades, (viz.) Maxwells, Mulenburgs, Weedons, Woodfords, Scotts, and Conways, to parade precisely at 11 oClock, in the rear of General Conways Brigade, with at least one days provision—Colonel [Ephraim] Martin will take command of the party, and receive his orders from Majr General Lord stirling. The Majrs of Brigades are to attend on the parade with their respective detachments” (MHi: Lincoln Papers).
Another set of “After orders” of this date appears at the end of the general orders for 9 June in Lincoln’s orderly book. They read: “Those rifle men returned to the adjutant General, agreeable to the General order of the first instant are to parade tomorrow morning at 6 O’Clock on the grand parade, The Brigadiers of the different brigades to which their men respectively belong, to see that they have good rifles, to be supplied (if their own shou’d not be good) from those who remain and dont answer the description of the General order above refer’d to” (MHi: Lincoln Papers). Heth’s orderly book does not include the after orders regarding Col. Ephraim Martin’s detachment, but it does include the after orders concerning the riflemen immediately following the general orders for this date and over the signature of “Morgan Conner, Adj’t Gen’l” (“Heth’s Orderly Book,” 346).
1. See General Orders, 17 Feb. 1776 and 18 April 1777.