United States. Continental Army. Garrison (West Point, N.Y.). Orderly books, 1779-1781. - View Resource (original) (raw)

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United States. Continental Army. Garrison (West Point, N.Y.). Orderly books, 1779-1781.

Title

Orderly books, 1779-1781.

Abstract

Orderly books giving partial coverage of the period between June 20, 1779 and September 17, 1781. All contain general and garrison orders, but there are overlaps in date, indicating that they were kept by different units. The first two volumes (the second kept by Major Richard Platt) continue the series of orderly books for McDougall's Division, because McDougall took over the command of West Point at this time. The first volume contains general orders dated from Highlands, June 6, 1779 - June 19, 1779, and general and garrison orders dated from West Point, June 20, 1779 - August 21, 1779. The sixth volume (no. 89 in microfilm) contains general orders dated June 6, 1779 - August 8, 1779, and was reused for garrison orders August 14, 1780 - August 30, 1780; it may have belonged to Captain Robert Walker's company. The last volume has laid-in a leaf of accounts dated April 4, 1777, headed "Continental Congress in account with John Lawrence, paymaster of the 4th New York Regiment;" it also contains an estimate of the number and kinds of tents needed for a brigade consisting of four regiments. It also contains Washington's general orders for May 5, 1779 - June 20, 1779. The orders deal with courts-martial, uniforms, shortages of clothing, signals, hygiene in camp, and controlling the prices of milk, washing and bread.