premises into consideration, would humbly report the following draught of a blank for Commissions, viz:

“The Congress of the Colony of the MASSACHUSETTS-BAY, to . . . ., gentleman, . . . . . Greeting:

“We, reposing especial trust and confidence in your courage and good conduct, do, by these presents, appoint you, the said . . . . . . to be a . . . ., of a Company of Foot, appointed by said Congress to be raised for the protection and defence of the seacoast in this Colony. You are, therefore, carefully and diligently to discharge the duty of a . . . ., in leading, ordering, and exercising the said Company in arms, both inferiour officers and soldiers, and to keep them in good order and discipline; and they are hereby commanded to obey you as their . . ., and you are yourself to observe and follow such orders and instructions as you shall from time to time receive from your superiour officers, or from those who are or may be appointed to have the direction of the said Company or Companies, in the several Towns or Counties where you may be stationed, according to military rules and discipline in war, in pursuance of the trust reposed in you.

“By order of Congress:

“. . . . . . . . ., President.

“. . . the . . . day of . . ., A. D. 1775.

Also, your Committee beg leave to report the following blank or form for Beating Orders, viz:

“To . . . . .

“SIR: You are hereby empowered immediately to enlist a Company, to consist of forty-seven ablebodied, effective men, including Sergeants, Corporals, Drummers, inc., as soldiers in the Massachusetts service, for the defence of the seacoast in this Colony; and cause them to pass muster as. soon as may be.

“By order of Congress:

“. . . . . . . . ., President,

“. . . day of . . . ., A. D. 1775.

Your Committee likewise report the following form of an Enlistment, viz:

“We, the subscribers, do hereby solemnly engage and enlist ourselves as Soldiers in the service of the Massachusetts Colony, for the defence and protection of the seacoasts in said Colony, from the day of our enlistment to the last day of December next, unless the said service should admit of a discharge of a part, or the whole, sooner, which is to be determined by the Congress or General Court, or Assembly of said Colony.And we do hereby promise to submit ourselves to all the orders and Regulations of the Army, and faithfully to observe and obey all such orders as we shall, from time to time, receive from our superiour officers.

Your Committee also beg leave to report, that the Committees in the several Counties, appointed by this Congress to give out Beating and Enlisting Orders, be directed to fill up said commissions and orders, and to deliver the commissions to the Officers as soon as their Companies are full; also, that a person be appointed in each of those Counties upon the seacoast, to administer the oath to Officers and Soldiers.

NATHANIEL FREEMAN, Chairman,

Resolved, That there be one hundred and twenty blank Commissions printed, sixty Beating Orders, and.one hundred and twenty Enlisting Orders.

Ordered, That Colonel Freeman, Doctor Taylor, and Colonel Farley, be a Committee to consider in what manner crimes shall be punished which may be committed by any of the Officers or Soldiers of the Forces stationed on the seacoasts.

Resolved, that all Warrants for Staff Officers, which may in future be delivered, be dated the day they are delivered.

Resolved, That all Commissions to fill up vacancies be dated the day they are delivered.

The Committee appointed to consider some measures for making provision for the Poor of the Town of Charlestoton, reported. The Report was recommitted.

Ordered, That Col. Grout and Mr. Woodbridge be added to the Committee appointed to consider the Accounts which the Committee of Safety may transmit to this Congress.

Ordered, That the Committee appointed to inspect the Letters brought by Captain Jenkins, be a Committee to consider what is best to be done with them, and that Mr. Dickerson be of that Committee in the room of Mr. Phillips.

The Committee appointed to inquire where safe and convenient Stores for securing Gunpowder might be had, reported. The Report was read and accepted, and is as follows:

The Committee appointed to look out for a place or places, for the safe keeping the Powder that is or may be lodged in this Town, have attended that service, and beg leave to report, as their opinion, that some part of the Powder be kept in the Middle School-House, and some part in the East School-House; also, some part in a building belonging to Mr. Josiah Capen, near the Great Bridge; also, that a Building be erected, as soon as possible, within the limits of the said Capen’s land, not far from the Great Bridge in said Watertown, which place was proposed some time since to build a Provincial Magazine at, agreeable to a law of this Colony. All which is humbly submitted.

JONATHAN BROWN, per order.

The same Committee to see that the Powder is well guarded, and to consider and report what sort of a Building shall be erected.

The Committee directed to prepare Instructions to the Committee who were appointed to procure Powder from the Counties of Worcester and Hampshire, reported. The Report was accepted, and is as follows, viz:

Tothe several Towns in the County of HAMPSHIRE, on the easterly side of CONNECTICT River, and the Towns in the County of WORCESTER:

This Congress, taking into their most serious consideration the great want of Powder in our publick magazines, and considering how much depends on that important and most necessary article, which, under God, if provided, may prove the salvation of America; and as your Towns lie the least exposed to the ravages of our enemy; therefore it is most earnestly recommended by this Congress to the Selectmen of each Town and District in the County of Worcester, that they deliver the whole of the Town stock of Powder, in said County of Worcester, to John Caldwell, Esq., Mr. Amos Singletary, and Mr. Israel Nichols, or “either of them, a Committee appointed by this Congress to receive the same, except so much as is allowed to be kept in each Town, which will appear by the Schedule hereunto annexed; and that it be replaced as soon as the state of the Colony magazines will admit thereof, or otherwise will be paid for in money.

And it is likewise recommended to the Selectmen of each Town and District in the County of Hampshire, except those on the westerly side of Connecticut River, to deliver the respective Town stocks of powder to Mr. Noah Goodman, who is appointed by this Congress to receive the same from the County of Hampshire, agreeable to the annexed Schedule. Therefore
Resolved, That the said Committees appointed by this Congress to collect the Powder from the Counties of Worcester and Hampshire, be directed to give a receipt to the Selectmen of such Towns as they shall receive Powder from, in the form following:

“The . . . . day of . . . . . ., 1775.

“Received of A. B., Selectmen of the Town of . . . ., the Town stock of Powder, containing . . . weight, to the use of the Massachusetts-Bay, which Powder is to be replaced again as soon as the state of the Colony magazine will admit of it, or paid for in money.”

And the Committee appointed to receive The powder are hereby severally empowered and directed to employ such Wagoners or Teamsters as shall be necessary, with great despatch to convey the same to the Committee of, Supplies; for which service said.Wagoners and Teamsters, when they have delivered said" Powder to the Committee of Supplies, and shall, produce a certificate from either of the Committee-men appointed to collect said Powder, setting forth the sum agreed for the conveyance of said powder, then the Committee; of Supplies shall give Orders to the Receiver-General of the Colony for the sum so agreed