The Online Library of Liberty

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• Correspondence and Miscellaneous Writings 1760–1774 Continued
• 1771 - to Thomas Adams 1
• To James Ogilvie 1
• “ Inscription For an African Slave ” 1
• Agreement With John Randolph 2
• To Inglis and Long, Merchants At Portsmouth 1
• To Thomas Adams 1
• To Robert Skipwith
• Argument In Godwin Et Al. Vs. Lunan 1
• 1772 - to Messrs. Inglis and Long, Merchants At Portsmouth 1
• 1773 - to Chas. Mcpherson 1
• To William Fleming 1
• Advertisement In “virginia Gazette”
• Advertisement In “virginia Gazette”
• Advertisement In “virginia Gazette”
• 1774 - Notice of Fast 1
• Resolution of Albemarle County 2
• Proposed Arms For the United States 1
• A Summary View of the Rights of British America. Set Forth In Some Resolutions
• “ Defects In the Association ” 1
• To Archibald Cary and Benjamin Harrison
• 1775 - Motion In Convention of Virginia 1
• Draft of a Resolution of the Virginia Convention 1
• To Dr. William Small 1
• Address to Governor Dunmore From the House of Burgesses 1
• To Francis Eppes 1
• To Francis Eppes 1
• Drafts of Declaration On Taking Up Arms 1
• First Draft
• Second Draft
• Draft of Report On Lord North’s Motion 2
• To John Randolph 1
• To Francis Eppes 1
• To Francis Eppes 1
• To John Page 1
• To Francis Eppes 2
• To Francis Eppes 1
• To John Randolph 2
• Declaration Concerning Ethan Allen 1
• To John Page 1
• Report to Congress On Congress Committee 1
• 1776 - to Thomas Nelson 1
• Report of Committee On Canadian Affairs 1
• Proposed Constitution For Virginia 1
• First Draft
• Fair Copy
• Report On Cedars Cartel 1
• Report On Canadian Affairs 1
• To William Fleming 1
• Declaration of Independence 1
• First Draft
• Reported Draft
• Engrossed Copy
• To Richard Henry Lee 1
• To George Wythe 1
• Notes of Rules For Continental Congress. 1
• To Edmund Pendleton 2
• Resolution For Rotation of Members of Continental Congress 1
• To Francis Eppes 1
• To the Pennsylvania Convention 1
• Notes On Virginia-pennsylvania Boundary
• To the Governor of Virginia 1 (patrick Henry)
• To Col. Fielding Lewis
• To John Page 2
• To Francis Eppes 1
• To John Page 1
• To Francis Eppes 1
• To — 1
• To John Page 1
• Resolution to Encourage Desertions of Hessian Officers 1
• Resolutions On Peace Propositions 1
• To the President of the Continental Congress 1 (john Hancock)
• Notes On Religion 1
• Draft of Bill to Abolish Entails. 1
• Amendments to Bill to Abolish Entails 1
• Draft of a Bill to Remove Seat of Government 1
• Draft of a Bill For Raising Six Additional Battalions of Infantry On the Continental Establishment 1
• Draft of a Bill Establishing County Courts 1
• Draft of a Bill For Altering Rates of Copper Coin 1
• Report On Upshur 2
• A Bill For the Trial of Offences Committed Out of This Commonwealth.
• Draft of a Bill For Suspending Executions For Debt 1
• 1777 - Draft of a Bill For Providing Against Invasions and Insurrections 1
• Draft of a Bill For Regulating the Appointment of Delegates to General Congress 1
• To John Adams 1
• To Benjamin Franklin 1
• To John Adams
• First Report of Conference Committee 1
• 1778 - Second Report of Conference Committee
• Draft of a Bill Giving Certain Powers to the Executive 1
• Draft of Bill Designating Places For Holding Courts of Chancery and General Court 1
• A Bill Granting Free Pardon to Certain Offenders 1
• A Bill For the Speedy Recovery of Debts Due the United States 1
• Draft of a Bill For Providing a Supply For the Public Exigencies 1
• A Bill to Amend an Act Intitled “an Act For Raising a Supply of Money For Public Exigencies” 1
• Draft of Bill of Attainder Against Josiah Philips 1
• To Richard Henry Lee 1
• To —
• Resolutions Concerning Peace With England 1
• To Rev. Samuel Henley 1
• To David Rittenhouse 1
• A Bill For Giving the Members of the Assembly an Adequate Allowance 1
• 1779 - to George Wythe
• To the Governor of Virginia. (patrick Henry)
• To Richard Henry Lee 1
• To Gabriel Jones 1
• A Bill Concerning Escheats and Forfeitures From British Subjects 2
• Speech to General Assembly 1
• To John Page 1
• To William Fleming 1
• To Theodorick Bland, Jr. 1
• To Richard Henry Lee 1
• To Theodorick Bland, Jr. 1
• Report of the Revisors
• A Bill For Withholding British Property (chapter Xxxvi 1 )
• A Bill Concerning Slaves (chapter Li 1 )
• A Bill For Proportioning Crimes and Punishments (chapter Lxiv 1 )
• A Bill For the More General Diffusion of Knowledge (chapter Lxxix)
• A Bill For the Amending the Constitution of the College of William and Mary (chapter Lxxx)
• A Bill For Establishing a Public Library (chapter Lxxxi)
• A Bill For Establishing Religious Freedom 1 (chapter Lxxxii)
• To General Washington
• To the President of Congress (john Jay)
• Proclamation Concerning Escheats
• To General Baron De Riedesel 1
• To General Washington
• To the Governor of Canada (sir Guy Carleton)
• To Col. William Fleming 1
• To the County Lieutenant of Hampshire 1
• To the President of Congress (john Jay)
• To General Washington
• To General Washington
• To General Washington
• To Colonel George Mathews 1
• To the Speaker of the House of Delegates (benjamin Harrison)
• To the Speaker of the House of Delegates (benjamin Harrison)
• To the Speaker of the House of Delegates (benjamin Harrison)
• To the French Minister 1 ( Chevalier De La Luzerne )
• To the Governor of North Carolina 1 ( Richard Caswell )
• To the President of Congress (samuel Huntington)
• To General Washington
• Proclamation Laying Embargo
• To the President of Congress (samuel Huntington)
• To General Washington
• To the Speaker of the House of Delegates (benjamin Harrison)
• To the President of Congress (samuel Huntington)

draft of a bill for raising six additional battalions of infantry on the continental establishment1

j. mss.

[October 28, 1776.]

Whereas it has been thought necessary by the American Congress that the armies of the United States should be augmented to eighty eight battalions to be enlisted to serve during the continuance of the present war unless sooner discharged, & that fifteen of the said battalions should be furnished by this Commonwealth; and the said Congress by their resolutions have engaged to give to every noncommissioned officer & private soldier a present bounty of twenty dollars (an annual bounty of a suit of clothes, to consist for the present year of two linen hunting shirts, two pr of overalls, a leathern or woollen waistcoat with sleeves, one pr of breeches, a hat or leathern cap, 2 shirts, 2 pr of hose, & 2 pr of shoes, amounting in the whole to the value of 20 dollars or that sum to be paid to each soldier who shall procure those articles for themselves) & to provide the following portions of lands to be given at the close of the war, or whensoever discharged to the officers and soldiers who shall engage in the said service, or to their representatives if slain by the enemy; to wit, to every noncommissioned officer or soldier one hundred acres, to every ensign one hundred and fifty acres, to every Lieutenant two hundred acres, to every captain three hundred acres, to every Major four hundred acres, to every Lieutt. Colonel four hundred & fifty acres & to every Colonel five hundred acres.

And whereas there are already in the Continental service eight battalions of regulars raised in this Commonwealth who were enlisted to serve for certain terms only, and one other battalion, formerly in the same service & dissolved by the expiration of the time of their enlistment, has been ordered to be reestablished by new levies; which nine battalions are to be taken as part of the fifteen from this commonwealth provided they shall re-enlist for the continuance of the war: and there are also in the service of this commonwealth (nine companies of marines &) five companies of land forces stationed at different posts on the river Ohio whom it may be expedient to engage in the six new battalions now necessary to be raised to complete the said number of fifteen battalions.

Be it therefore enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia that1 it shall & may be lawful for the governor with the advice of his privy council & he & they are hereby required to take such measures as to them shall seem most expedient for engaging the said nine battalions & also so many (of the sd Marines &) of the companies stationed on the Ohio as shall be willing to be of the Armies of the United States on the new establishment before recited; & for that purpose to give recruiting Powers to the officers commanding the same, or to send special Commissioners if that measure shall appear more effectual, or to adopt any other ways or means most likely to procure their speedy enlistment.

[1 And whereas it will be necessary, in order to augment & form the said Marines into one complete battalion, that an additional company or companies should be raised for that purpose, but the numbers which may be wanting of officers & men being now unknown, the appointing & raising the same cannot be precisely directed, be it therefore enacted that it shall & may be lawful for the governor by warrant under his hand to authorize such of the County committees as he shall think proper to appoint such & so many captains & other inferior officers as may be wanting completely to officer the said battalion, who shall immediately proceed to raise their quotas of men: & in case any officers of the Marines engaging in the sd service shall fail to raise the quota of men hereafter prescribed for his office before the day omitted of next omitted it shall be lawful for the governor with the advice of the privy council either to appoint another in his stead or to continue him as shall appear most likely to expedite the raising his said quota.

And be it farther enacted that the Committees for the counties of Fincastle, Botetourt, East-Augusta, & Hampshire shall each of them appoint one captain, 2 Lieutenants, one Ensign & four sergeants to be added to the officers of the five companies stationed on the Ohio or to such of them as shall be willing to engage as aforesaid in the Continental service & shall with them be formed into one battalion; provided that if all or any of the officers of the sd five companies stationed on the Ohio shall refuse to enter into the sd service it shall be lawful for the Committee of the county from which such officer or officers received his or their appointment to appoint others in their room.]1

Quotas from the several counties.

And for raising the sd six additional battalions be it further enacted that the committee for the district of West Augusta shall have power to appoint ten captains, twenty Lieutenants & ten Ensigns & the committees for the other counties in this commonwealth to appoint the following officers respectively to wit, the Commee for the county of

which several officers so to be appointed shall immediately proceed to enlist the several quotas of men following, that is to say, every Captain shall enlist 28 men, every first Lieutent. 20, every sd. Lieutt. 16, & every ensign 10 & shall be at liberty to do the same as well within their respective counties as without.

Officers failing to enlist quota

And if any officer shall fail to recruit his quota of men before mentioned on or before the day of next the Commee of the county by whom such officer was appointed may either appoint another in his stead, or may continue him if it shall appear to them that the quota of such officer may be sooner completed by his continuance. But if he or the officer appointed in his stead shall further fail to raise the sd quota before the day of next, then the commee of the county who appointed such officer shall make report of the whole matter to the Governor, who with the advice of the privy council shall take such measures thereon as shall seem most likely to expedite the raising the said quota, whether it be by continuing the same officer, or by making a new appointment; and wheresoever any new appointment shall be made on failure of any officer or officers to raise their quota, the men enlisted by such officer or officers so failing shall be delivered over to the officer appointed to succeed him, he refunding to the officer who enlisted the same such recruiting expenses as the committee shall judge reasonable.

And be it further enacted, that to each of the sd six additional battalions 1 Colonel, one Lieutenant Colonel & one Major shall be appointed by joint ballot of both houses of assembly and one chaplain & one Surgeon by the field officers & captains of each battalion respectively, & that all Chaplains, & Surgeons as well of the sd six battalions as of the nine battalions now in Continental service shall at all times be removeable, and others appointed in their steads by the sd field officers & Captains of their respective battalions for good cause to them shewn: and the Surgeon’s Mates shall be appointed by the Surgeon himself with the approbation of the Commanding officer of the battalion & the Adjutant, Regimental Quarter Master, Serg^t. Major, Quarter Master Sergeant & Drum Major by the said commanding officer of the battalion.

How to be formed into companies & battalions.

And be it further enacted that the Quotas of men raised by the officers to be appointed by the Commee of West Augusta shall be formed into distinct companies by the sd Commee which companies shall constitute one of the sd six additional battalions: & the Quotas raised by the officers to be appointed by any other Commees shall by the same Commee be formed into one or more companies or parts of a company according to the nature & number of the Quotas: & the said companies & parts of companies shall be formed into battalions of ten companies each by the governor or in his absence by the President who shall Allot to each battalion such of the field officers to be appointed by the two houses of assembly as he shall judge best suited to the same, and shall deliver to the Continental Commander in this Colony a roll of each battalion as soon as the same shall be so embodied and officered.

And whereas it is apprehended that sufficient care and attention hath not been alwais had by officers to the cleanliness, to the health & to the comfort of the soldiers entrusted to their command be it therefore enacted that so long as any troops from this commonwealth shall be in any service to the Northward thereof it shall & may be lawful for our delegates in Congress & they are hereby required from time to time to enquire into the state & condition of the troops & the conduct of the officers commanding & where any troops raised in this commonwealth are upon duty within the same or any where to the Southward there the Gov^r. & Council are required to make similar enquiry by such ways or means as shall be in their power; & whensoever it shall be found that any officer appointed by this commonwealth shall have been guilty of negligence or want of fatherly care of the soldiers under his command they are hereby respectively required to report to this assembly the whole truth of the case who hereby reserve to themselves a power of removing such officer: & whenever they shall find that such troops shall have suffered thro’ the negligence or inattention of any officer of Continental Appointment they are in like manner to make report thereof to this assembly whose duty it will be to represent the same to Congress: and they are further respectively required from time to time to procure & lay before this assembly exact returns of the numbers & condition of such their troops.

[1 ]On October 15, 1776, the House of Delegates appointed Mr. Treasurer (R. C. Nicholas), Nelson, Bullitt, Jefferson, and Smith to prepare this bill. On Oct. 24th, they added to these, Jones, Fleming, Henry, and Read. The bill was reported by Jefferson on Oct. 28th, and read the first time. Read the second time on the following day, and passed on Nov. 2d. This is printed from the original draft in Jefferson’s handwriting. The act as adopted is given in Hening, ix., 179.

[1 ]Then follows this clause, which is stricken out: “a committee of three persons to be chosen by joint ballot of both houses shall proceed immediately.” And Jefferson has written: “Govt. to re-enlist 9 former battalions, marines & Ohio garrisons. T. Nelson, R. H. Lee, etc.”

[1 ]“Govr. to direct commees shall No. companies to compleat Battalions of marines.”—T. J.

[1 ]The paragraphs in brackets are stricken out.