Ordered, That Captain Batchelder, Major Goodwin, and Mr. Hobart, be a Committee to consider the propriety of commissioning the Officers of Colonel Gerrish’s Regiment.

Ordered, That Mr. Pickering be appointed to fill up commissions for Samuel Patch as Captain, and Zach. Walker and Joshua Brown as Lieutenants, in Colonel William Prescott’s Regiment.

Ordered, That a Letter be sent to General Ward, in answer to his Letter, and that Colonel Lincoln be appointed for that service.

Voted, That a particular number of men shall be settled, to entitle Colonel Phinney to the command of a Regiment.

Voted, That Colonel Phinney be directed to bring up to camp four hundred men with effective fire-arms, and that a time be limited to bring up one hundred more, at least, with effective fire-arms; he in that case to be entitled to a Colonel’s commission, and not otherwise.

Ordered, That Mr. Pickering be appointed to make out commissions to the Officers in Colonel Garrish’s Regiment.

Ordered, That the Committee of Safety be directed, as soon as possible, to prepare and transmit to this Congress perfect lists of the names of such gentlemen as they judge fit and worthy to be commissioned in the several Regiments granted by this Congress, and for which the said Committee have not already transmitted lists, that so our Army may be organized as soon as possible.

On the Petition of the Selectmen of the Town of Townshend.

Resolved, That it be recommended to the Selectmen of the Town of Ashby to deliver to the Selectmen of Townshend one half barrel of Gunpowder for the use of the inhabitants of said Townshend, which shall be replaced in the Town of Ashby by this Congress, or a House of Representatives, so soon as the state of our magazines will admit, or otherwise said Town of Ashby shall be fully paid for said Powder out of the publick Treasury, provided the said Town of Ashby have two half barrels, as has been represented to this Congress.

The Committee appointed to consider by what means the Army before Boston may be effectually and most expeditiously strengthened, beg leave to report, in part, that they judge it absolutely necessary that the eight companies stationed in the County of Plymouth, belonging partly to General Thomas’s Regiment, and partly to Col. Cotton’s Regiment, be immediately ordered to join the Army as soon as possible, and that directions be immediately given to General Ward for that purpose.

JOSEPH HAWLEY, per order.

Resolved, That each Colonel in the Massachusetts Army be, and hereby is directed immediately to inform the Committee appointed by this Congress to examine the Surgeons for said Army, whom they recommend for the Surgeons and Surgeons‘ Mates of their respective Regiments, and send them to said Committee for examination, without delay, except such as have been examined.

Resolved, That George Vincent be, and he hereby is permitted to export from Salem to the West-Indies about forty-one barrels of Alewives; and said Vincent is also permitted to take on board his vessel Provisions sufficient for his voyage to the said West-Indies, and no more; and the Committee of Safety of the Town of Salem are hereby directed to see this Resolve strictly complied with.

On the Petition of a number of the Inhabitants settled on Penobscot River, the inhabitants of Belfast, Majabigwaduce, and Benjamin River, representing the difficulties and distress said inhabitants are under in respect to the scarcity of Corn and Ammunition, and praying for some relief,

Resolved, That it be recommended by this Congress to the Committee of Safety of the Town of Gloucester or Newburyport, or to the Committees of Safety or Correspondence of any other Towns within this Colony to supply Captain Jonathan Buck, one of the petitioners, for the use of said inhabitants, for their present relief, with two hundred bushels of Indian Corn, or to that amount in Corn and Rye, and take in return for the same cord Wood, or such other payment as the said Buck may be able to make, on his security there for; and in case the said Buck shall not make satisfaction for the same in a reasonable time, it shall be allowed and paid out of the publick Treasury of this Colony, and the said Buck shall refund the same as soon as may be; and that Colonel Goldthwait deliver up all the publick Arms and Ammunition in his possession to the petitioners, or a Committee appointed by them for that purpose; and as to the Powder, they shall be reasonably supplied therewith as soon as the state of our Magazine will admit thereof.

Friday, June 23, 1775.

Ordered, That Colonel Cushing, Mr. Lothrop, Mr. Pickering, Mr. Wheeler, and Mr. Langdon, be a Committee to fill up Commissions, and that no one of said gentlemen quit the House without leave.

Ordered, That the Officers in Colonel Glover’s Regiment be commissioned, except Captain Lee and his Subalterns.

Ordered, That the pay of the Ensigns be augmented to three Pounds ten Shillings, and those that are returned as Ensigns, be commissioned as Second Lieutenants.

Ordered, That the Petition of Bridget Phillips be dismissed; that directions be given to General Ward not to permit Bridget Phillips, wife to an officer in Boston, to go into Boston, nor any other person whatever; and that Major Goodwin be directed to bring in a Resolve for that purpose.

Ordered, That a commission be given to Col . Gridley as Chief Engineer and Colonel, with the rank of Major-General, and that the Lieutenant-Colonel of the Train have the rank of Colonel; and that the Majors have the rank of Lieutenant-Colonels; and the Captains the rank of Majors; Captain-Lieutenants and First Lieutenants the rank of Captains; and that the rank of the other officers be suspended for the present.

Ordered, That the Report respecting Colonel Phinney’s Regiment be recommitted, in order bring in a Resolve, directing Colonel Phinney to bring to the camp four hundred men with effective fire-arms, and in that case to be commissioned as First Colonel, with a Major under him; and in case he brings up five hundred men, all the Officers to be appointed, and in case he brings up but three hundred men, to receive a commission as Lieutenant-Colonel; also, that his men be brought up to camp at the expense of the Government.

Ordered, That the Committee appointed to disperse the handbills respecting the due observance of the Lord’s Day, be directed to mate a computation of what number are wanted, and order them to be printed, and that one be struck off for each Parish.

Ordered, That General Fry be commissioned as a Major-General, and that the President be directed to administer the oath to him.

Ordered, That the oath for General Officers be altered, and that the words “or House of Representatives or Legislative body of said Colony,” be added.

Ordered, That Mr. Lane’s Account for bringing up the Indians be committed to Mr. Langdon, Captain Goodman, Captain Holmes, Captain Parker, and Captain Carpenter, to take the same into Consideration, and report thereon.

The Committee appointed to provide a Hospital for the Camp at Roxbury, reported as follows:

That they have appointed the house belonging to Joshua Loring, in said Roxbury, for a Hospital, and for the use of said camp. The Report was accepted.

Ordered, That the Account of Captain Kirkwood be recommitted to the Committee appointed to take that matter into consideration, and that Major Whittemore and Mr. Glover be added to the Committee.

Ordered, That the consideration of the appointment of Quartermaster-Generals and Adjutant-Generals be deferred to four o’clock, P. M., and that Mr. Hobart be appointed to wait on General Ward to nominate an Adjutant-General.

Ordered, That to-morrow, eleven o’clock, A. M., be assigned to come to the choice of four Brigadier-Generals.