General Orders, 22 July 1779
General Orders
Head-Quarters Moores-House [West Point] Thursday July 22d 1779.
Parole Philip’sburgh—C. Signs Perth Namur.
The following is the formation of Nixon’s, Paterson’s, Larned’s & the North-Carolina Brigades which is to take place immediately for the present Campaign.
| R. & F.1 | ||
| Greaton’s Regt | ⎧ ⎨ ⎩⎫ ⎬ ⎭forms one battalion and furnishes for the Light Infantry–- |
24. |
| Nixon’s— forms one battalion and furnishes— | 30. |
| Putnam’s— forms one battalion and furnishes— | 38. |
| ⎫ ⎬ ⎭Nixon’s brigade to give for the Light Infantry |
|
92. |
| Bailey’s Regt forms one battalion and furnishes— | 32. |
| Jackson’s—forms one battalion and furnishes— | 12. |
| Wesson’s—forms one battalion and furnishes— | 28. |
| ⎫ ⎬ ⎭Larned’s brigade to give for the Light-Infantry— |
|
72. |
| Late Brewer’s and Bradford’s regiments form one battalion and furnish— | 43. |
| Marshall’s and Tupper’s form one battalion and furnish— | 51. |
| ⎫ ⎬ ⎭ Paterson’s brigade to give for the Light Infantry— |
|
94. |
| Clark’s Regt forms one battalion & furnishes– | 37. |
| Pattens—forms one battalion & furnishes– | 33. |
| ⎫ ⎬ ⎭The North-Carolina brigade to give for the Light-Infantry3 |
|
70. |
The following Gentlemen are to do the duties of Ensigns till the pleasure of their State is known and in the regiments set against their names.4
| 1st Virg. Regt |  |
Jacob Brown (to rank from the 15th of Septr last.)5 | ||
| Philip Courtney6 |  |
To rank from the 4th of July instant. | ||
| 2nd V. Regt | |
John Coleman7 | ||
| Peyton Powell8 | ||||
| George Blackmore9 | ||||
| 3rd Virg. Regt | |
Philip Clayton10 | ||
| James De Laplairne11 | ||||
| 4th V. Regt | |
[——] Scott.12 | ||
| Javan Miller.13 | ||||
| Robert Kays.14 | ||||
| 7th V. Regt | |
Robert Renkins15 | ||
| Samuel Phillips16 | ||||
| Spencer Morgan17 | ||||
| John Lee18— | ||||
| 8th V. Regt | |
Joseph Van Mater19 | ||
| Edward Williams20 | ||||
| 10th V. Regt | |
Simpson Foster21 | ||
| Elisha King22— | ||||
| The Regt command[e]d | |
David Luckit23 | |
’Till the pleasure of |
| by Colonel Gist— | John Nelson24 | Congress is known and to rank from the same date. |
The Quarter Master General will have a reasonable estimate made of the value of the Stores taken at Stony-Point and received by him for the use of the Army and will pay the amount thereof to General Wayne or some person of his appointment for the benefit of the troops employed in the assault of that Post.25
General Knox will cause the same to be done with respect to the Ordnance, Arms, and Military Stores that a Warrant may be drawn on the Pay-Master for the amount which is to be applied in like manner agreeable to the Assurances given by the Commander in Chief before the attack.
Every soldier who has been guilty of plundering at Stony-Point and applying to his own use any part of what was intended for the common benefit of the Assailants is to be excluded from a share of the above estimate and moreover on conviction of the crime to receive such corporal punishment as a Court-Martial shall think proper to sentence. And whereas some officers have purchased articles from the soldiers under a mistaken Idea that they had a right to sell, without considering the pernicious consequences to which such a practice leads and that it tends to encourage a spirit of plundering in the most critical moments by which the best concerted plans are often defeated, the General desires that all such Purchases may be given up (the money being refunded to them) & that practices of this kind be discountenanced in future by officers of every denomination.
There being a few Articles of clothing for officers in the hands of the clothier at New-Burgh incompetent to a general distribution to the Army at large, the General is under the necessity of confining them to those officers only who have not had the benefit of State Provisions & therefore directs the Clothier to issue them to such of the officers of Cavalry, Artillery, of the sixteen additional regiments and of the military staff as do not belong to the line of particular States and are in the predicament on which this discrimination is founded.26
For his government the officers are to bring certificates; those of the Cavalry from the officers commanding their respective regiments; Those of the Artillery from Brigadier General Knox; Those of the sixteen regiments from the officers commanding the brigades to which they belong & those of the Military Staff from the General Officers or Principals to whom they are attached, unless they are the principals themselves in which case their own orders will suffice.
The Clothier has directions respecting the proportion and terms by which his issues are to be regulated.27
One Artificer from each battalion on the new formation to be sent to the Orderly-Office as soon as possible: A Serjeant from each brigade or division to conduct them.
The following number of men from the several brigades properly officered are to be daily employed on the works according to the distribution hereafter mentioned ’till further orders.
| R. & F.28 | |||
| North-Carolina brigade— | 74. | |
at Constitution Island.29 |
| 2nd Pennsylvania brigade | 127. | ||
| Smallwoods | 153 — | |
At the Redoubt near |
| the Maryland-line. | |||
| 2nd Maryland | 127 — | At Fort-Putnam. | |
| Irvine’s Brigade | 169 — | At the Point. | |
| Paterson’s Brigade | 60. | |
At ditto. |
| Late Larned’s | 40 — |
Fatigue hours from gun-firing, ’till nine in the morning and from three in the afternoon ’till retreat.
Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
1. This is an abbreviation for rank and file.
2. These initials, from left to right, stand for corporals, sergeants, subalterns, drums and fifes.
3. The general orders for 23 July further describe the organization of the light infantry.
4. For the recommendation leading to these appointments, see GW to Stirling, 8 July, postscript.
5. Jacob R. Brown (1731–1805) continued as an ensign in the 1st Virginia Regiment. He was taken prisoner at Charleston, S.C., on 12 May 1780 and exchanged in June 1781. Brown transferred to the 5th Virginia Regiment, became a lieutenant, and served until the end of the war.
6. Philip Courtney, who enlisted in August 1776, served as corporal, sergeant, and orderly in the 1st Virginia Regiment before becoming an ensign in July 1779. He resigned from the army in February 1781.
7. John Coleman served as corporal, sergeant, and sergeant major in the 11th Virginia Regiment before becoming an ensign in the 2d Virginia Regiment in July 1779.
8. Peyton Powell (John Peyton Powell; 1760–1844), who enlisted on 22 Nov. 1776, served as sergeant in the 11th Virginia Regiment, later designated the 7th Virginia Regiment. Commissioned ensign in July 1779, he was taken prisoner at Charleston, S.C., on 12 May 1780. Apparently exchanged, Powell transferred to the 3d Virginia Regiment in February 1781 and was promoted to lieutenant that same month. He remained in the army until the end of the war.
9. George Blackmore (1762–1833), who enlisted in December 1776, served as corporal and sergeant in the 2d Virginia Regiment before becoming an ensign in July 1779. He was taken prisoner at Charleston, S.C., on 12 May 1780. Apparently exchanged, Blackmore was promoted to lieutenant in February 1781 and resigned from the army in April 1782.
10. Philip Clayton (d. 1807) was commissioned an ensign in the 3d Virginia Regiment in July 1779, became a lieutenant in May 1780, and retired from the army in January 1783.
11. James Delaplaine (Delaplane) was a cadet in the 3d Virginia Regiment before becoming an ensign in July 1779. He was taken prisoner at Charleston, S.C., on 12 May 1780. Apparently exchanged, Delaplaine was promoted to lieutenant in August 1780, transferred to the 2d Virginia Regiment in February 1781, and served for the remainder of the war.
12. William Scott served as sergeant in the 4th Virginia Regiment before becoming ensign in July 1779. He retired from the army in January 1780.
13. Javan Miller enlisted in the 4th Virginia Regiment in December 1776 and served as a sergeant until commissioned an ensign in July 1779. Taken prisoner at Charleston, S.C., on 12 May 1780, he was exchanged in April 1781, became a lieutenant that May, and remained in the army until the end of the war.
14. Robert Kays (Keyes, Keys) was a sergeant in the 4th Virginia Regiment from September 1776 until commissioned an ensign in July 1779. He became a lieutenant in February 1781.
15. Robert Rankins (Rankin; 1753–1837) became a sergeant in the 11th Virginia Regiment in July 1776. In July 1779, after that regiment had been redesignated as the 7th Virginia Regiment, Rankin was commissioned an ensign. He was taken prisoner at Charleston, S.C., on 12 May 1780. Apparently exchanged, Rankin was commissioned a lieutenant in January 1780 and remained in the army until the end of war. He subsequently was active in Kentucky and Texas politics.
16. Samuel Phillips (d. 1780) became a sergeant in the 11th Virginia Regiment in August 1776. In July 1779, after that regiment had been redesignated as the 7th Virginia Regiment, Phillips was commissioned an ensign. He was killed at Charleston, S.C., on 12 May 1780. Phillips performed most of his military service in the same company as John Marshall (see 1:4–37).
17. Spencer Morgan (c.1756–1809) became a sergeant in the 14th Virginia Regiment in December 1776. In July 1779, after that regiment had been redesignated as the 10th Virginia Regiment, Morgan was commissioned an ensign. Upon receiving this promotion, he transferred to the 7th Virginia Regiment.
18. John Leigh enlisted in February 1777 and served as corporal and sergeant in the 7th Virginia Regiment, which was redesignated in September 1778 as the 5th Virginia Regiment. He transferred to the newly designated 7th Virginia Regiment, formerly designated the 11th Virginia Regiment, upon being commissioned an ensign in July 1779. Leigh should not be confused with John Lee, who served as a private in this regiment and never advanced beyond that rank.
19. Joseph Vanmeter (Vanmetre) enlisted in January 1777 and served as sergeant in the 12th Virginia Regiment, which was redesignated in September 1778 as the 8th Virginia Regiment. He was commissioned an ensign in July 1779 and apparently retired from the army in January 1781.
20. Edward Williams (1759–1821) enlisted in January 1777 and served as sergeant in the 12th Virginia Regiment, which was redesignated in September 1778 as the 8th Virginia Regiment. He was commissioned an ensign in July 1779 and resigned from the army in December of that year (see 15:1422).
21. Simpson (Simson) Foster (died c.1780) enlisted in February 1777 and served as sergeant and sergeant major in the 14th Virginia Regiment, which was redesignated in September 1778 as the 10th Virginia Regiment. Commissioned an ensign in July 1779, and a lieutenant in November of that same year, he was captured at Charleston, S.C., on 12 May 1780 and died while a prisoner.
22. Elisha King enlisted as a private in the 14th Virginia Regiment in January 1777 and advanced to sergeant later that year. In July 1779, after that regiment had been redesignated as the 10th Virginia Regiment, King was commissioned an ensign. He transferred to the 1st Virginia Regiment in February 1781 and was commissioned a captain lieutenant that same month. King retired from the army in November 1782.
23. David Luckett (Lucket) served as a corporal in Col. William Grayson’s Additional Continental Regiment from May 1777 until his promotion to sergeant in January 1778. Luckett received his commission as ensign in July 1779, a few months after Grayson’s Additional Continental Regiment had been merged with Col. Nathaniel Gist’s Additional Continental Regiment and placed under the command of that officer. Luckett transferred to the 3d Maryland Regiment in January 1781, remained in the army at the end of the war, and was in command at Fort Pitt as a lieutenant at the time of his discharge in June 1785 (see 28:435). For a payment to Luckett for performing executioner duties, see General Orders, 13 July, source note.
24. John Nelson enlisted as a private in Col. William Grayson’s Additional Continental Regiment in March 1777, advanced to sergeant in October of that year, and became sergeant major in January 1778. Nelson received his commission as ensign in July 1779, a few months after Grayson’s Additional Continental Regiment had been merged with Col. Nathaniel Gist’s Additional Continental Regiment and placed under the command of that officer. Nelson retired from the army in January 1781.
25. Likely to comply with this order, Q.M. Gen. Nathanael Greene sent to GW an undated table with the title “Account & Appraisement of the Quarter Master’s Stores taken at Stony-Point the 16th of July 1779” (DLC:GW), showing the total value of the listed goods to be $17,712. The most valuable capture was 121 common tents. These were appraised at $80 each for a total value of $9,680. The table also lists 9 marquee tents, $600 each, or $5,400 total; “1 Horseman’s Tent” valued at $160; 9 wall tents, $120 each, or $1,080 total; 16 sets of tent poles, $5 each, or $80 total; 94 spades, $4 each, or $376 total; 47 pickaxes, $3 each, or $141 total; 1 augur valued at $3; 2 whipsaws, $100 each, or $200 total; 1 handsaw valued at $15; 1 broadax valued at $12; 27 narrow axes, $6 each, or $162 total; 8 hammers, $4 each, or $32 total; 3 crowbars, $20 each, or $60 total; 3 trowels, $3 each, or $9 total; 4 cleavers, $4 each, or $16 total; “1 Small Fish-Net” valued at $100; “1 Speaking Trumpet” valued at $6; and “1 Bundle of Nail Rods abt 20th W[eigh]t” valued at $20. GW sought congressional approval for this action to compensate the successful troops in his letter to John Jay of 21 July.
26. See James Geary to GW, 18 July, and GW to Geary, 22 July. For the problem of supporting troops not included in the state quotas, see John Jay to GW, 15 March, and n.1 to that document, and 24 March (first letter); see also Officers of Henry Jackson’s Detachment to GW, 8 March.
27. At this place in a transcript of another orderly book from GW’s headquarters, it reads: “Colonel Neville is immediately to march with his regiment and join the brigade to which he belongs” (NN: Bancroft Collection).
28. This is an abbreviation for rank and file.
29. Constitution Island, covering about 280 acres, juts westward into the Hudson River across from West Point, creating a decided bend in the river at that location. The island is formed by a network of narrow waterways that meander through swampy, essentially impassable, ground.