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Provincial Congress, be, and hereby is directed to cause his Company, without delay, to be mustered; and, that out of the Company or Companies in such town, they cause to be voluntarily inlisted the number of effective men herein affixed to each town, respectively, to serve the United Colonies, on the Continental establishment, and under their Generals, until the 1st day of January next, if the service shall require it; and that each officer and soldier shall be allowed and paid for their service, respectively, the same sum, by the calendar months, as is allowed to other officers and soldiers in the establishment aforesaid; the time of service to be computed from the time of his inlistment, or entering the same, to the time of his discharge, and allowing sufficient time for his return home, that is to say, accounting one day for every twenty miles' march; also, one Penny per mile to compensate his expenses on his march to and from the camp, for so many miles as he shall bear his travelling expenses in the march aforesaid; and each non-commissioned officer and soldier shall be allowed a Blanket, or twelve Shillings to pay for the same, if he finds it himself.
And whereas, the season is severe, and the service both important and necessary,
It is further Resolved, As a further encouragement to such non-Commissioned Officers and Soldiers as shall appear to inlist for the succour of their brethren in Canada, and for the defence and support of the just cause of America on this occasion, that, in addition to one month's advance wages to be paid them by his Excellency General Washington, there shall be paid them, also, out of the publick Treasury of this Colony, one other month's advance wages upon their passing muster, by a Mustermaster to be appointed by his Excellency, in full confidence that the justice of the Congress will order the same to be reimbursed; and the Treasurer is hereby ordered to pay the sum of thirteen hundred and ninety-eight Pounds eight Shillings, to Colonel Porter for that purpose, he to be accountable to this Court for the same. And the Selectmen and Committees of Correspondence and Safety of each of said towns, are requested, without fail, to afford their immediate assistance fully to effect this business with the utmost despatch, as they regard their country's and their own safety and welfare.
And it is further Resolved, That the Captains, Subalterns, and non-Commisioned Officers of the several Companies, shall be chosen by the Companies, respectively, from those inlisted, or others, and commissioned by the Council, and that the Committee appointed by this Court, in conjunction with the Field-Officers aforesaid, distribute the men inlisted as aforesaid into Companies.
The Form of the Inlistment.
We, the subscribers, do hereby severally inlist ourselves into the service of the United American Colonies, until the 1st day of January next, if the said service should require it. And each of us do engage to furnish and carry with us into the service aforesaid a good effective fire-arm and blanket, also, a good bayonet, cartridge-pouch, and a hatchet or tomahawk, or cutting sword, if possible; and we severally consent to be formed by such person, or persons, as the General Court shall appoint into a Company of ninety men, including one Captain, two Lieutenants, one Ensign, four Sergeants, four Corporals, one Drum, and one Fife, to be elected by the Company, and commissionated by the Council, and, when formed, we engage to march to Canada with the utmost expedition, and to be under such Field Officers as the General Court have appointed, or shall appoint; and we further agree, during the time aforesaid, to be subject to such Generals, or superior officers, as are or shall be appointed, and to be under such regulations in every respect, as are provided for the aforesaid.
Dated this..... of...... A. D.1776.
| County of Berkshire. | |
| Sheffield, | 24 | Hopeland and Glass |
| Sandisfield, | 11 | works, | 9 |
| New-Marlborough, | 16 | Pittsfield, | 21 |
| Egremont, | 11 | Hartwood, | 8 |
| Great-Barrington, | 15 | Lanesborough,19 |
| Alford, | 7 | Partridgefield, | 8 |
| Tyringham, | 13 | Gageborough, | 8 |
| Stockbridge, | 12 | Jericho, | 8 |
| West-Stockbridge, | 7 | New-Providence, | 10 |
| Richmond, | 13 | Williamston, | 14 |
| Lenox, | 13 | East-Hoosick, | 9 |
| Becket, | 9 | Louden, | 5 |
| County of Hampshire. |
| Springfield, | 19 | South-Brimfield, | 10 |
| Wilbraham, | 11 | Mensen, | 8 |
| West-Springfield, | 21 | Pelham, | 12 |
| North-Hampton, | 23 | Greenwich, | 9 |
| South-Hampton, | 9 | Blanford, | 10 |
| Westfield, | 18 | Leverett, | 5 |
| Southwick, | 9 | Palmer, | 11 |
| Hadley, | 10 | Granville, | 13 |
| South-Hadley, | 9 | New-Salem, | 12 |
| Amherst, | 14 | Belchertown, | 12 |
| Granby, | 7 | Colerain, | 10 |
| Hatfield, | 10 | Ware, | 7 |
| Whately, | 6 | Warwick, | 6 |
| Williamsburgh, | 7 | Bernardston, | 9 |
| Deerfield, | 13 | Murrayfield, | 6 |
| Greenfield, | 11 | Charlemont, | 7 |
| Shelburne, | 10 | Ashfield, | 8 |
| Conway, | 12 | Worthington, | 8 |
| Sunderland, | 7 | Shutesbury,9 |
| Montague, | 9 | Ludlow, | 5 |
| Northfield, | 10 | Norwich, | 4 |
| Brimfield, | 13 | Chesterfield, | 12 |
In Council: Read, and concurred.
Adjourned to ten o'clock, to-morrow morning.
Monday, January 22, 1776.
Present in Council: Honourables William Sever, Walter Spooner, Caleb Cushing, John Winthrop, Thomas Cushing, John Whetcomb, Jedediah Foster, James Prescott, Eldad Taylor, Benjamin Lincoln, Charles Chauncy, Michael Farley, Joseph Palmer, Samuel Holten, Jabez Fisher, Moses Gill, John Taylor, Benjamin White, Esquires.
In the House of Representatives: Whereas, it is of great importance that the Regiment to be raised by this Colony to serve the United Colonies in Canada, should be inlisted and marched with the utmost despatch, and the appointment of the Staff-Officers by this Court, and making commissions to Captains and Subalterns for said Regiment by the Council, may occasion delay:
Resolved, That the Field-Officers of the Regiment, together with Major Pynchon, Major Ely, Colonel Field, Mr. Dickerson, Major Bliss, Colonel How, Doctor Whiting, Captain Goodrich, and Major Smith, or the major part of them, be, and they are hereby appointed a Committee to appoint a Quartermaster, an Adjutant, a Chaplain, Surgeon, and Surgeon's Mate, for said Regiment, and the honourable Board are hereby empowered to deliver to said Committee five blank warrants for the said Staff-Officers; also, a sufficient number of blank commissions for the Captains and Subalterns aforesaid, signed; and the said Committee are directed to fill up the said blank commissions with the names of such commissioned officers as the Companies shall respectively choose.
In Council: Read, and concurred.
An engrossed Bill, entitled, "An Act for regulating the Militia of this Colony," having passed the House of Representatives, to be enacted,
In Council: Read a second time, and passed a concurrence, to be enacted.
In the House of Representatives: Whereas, this Court, at the request of his Excellency General Washington, have ordered"that a Regiment should be raised in the Counties of Hampshire and Berkshire, to reinforce the Army in Canada, with all possible despatch; and, to effect the same, have proportioned among the several towns in those Counties such a number of men as they apprehend each town ought to raise, and have appointed a Committee out of each County to assist in raising the men, and forming them, when raised, into Companies, viz: Major Pynchon, Major Ely, Colonel Field, Mr. Dickerson, Major Bliss, and Colonel How, for the County of Hampshire; and Doctor Whiting, Captain Goodrich, and Major Smith, for the County of Berkshire:
Therefore, Resolved, That the said Committee be, and they hereby are directed, to use their utmost endeavours with the Field-Officers of the Regiment to be raised as aforesaid, and the Committees of Correspondence and
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