to the Ship and Floating Battery; and a Letter written to Captain Dougherty, enclosing him a copy of said Resolve, with directions that he repair forthwith to this Committee, to receive such instructions as may be judged necessary.

Resolved, That Mr. Clymer, Mr. James Biddle, and Mr. Wilcocks, be a Committee to draw up a state of the publick transactions of this Board, in order to its being laid before the publick, if thought necessary.

In Committee of Safety, June 26, 1776.

Present: George Clymer, Chairman, Joseph Parker, Samuel Morris, Jun., John Nixon, Samuel Howell, Thomas Wharton, Jun., James Biddle, Robert White, Daniel Roberdeau.

By order of the Board an Order was drawn on John Nixon, Esq., and others, the Committee of Accounts, in favour of Thomas Fitzsimmons and Joseph Moulder, for £500, to be charged to their Accounts.

Colonel David McCutcheon being brought before this Board by a sub-Committee of the Committee of Inspection and Observation, as a person dangerous to the safety of American liberty; and Mr. James Steward, a Pilot, appearing at the same time, deposed that the said McCutcheon told him that if he would go aboard the Asia at New-York, there was a good offer, and that he should have two dollars a day, and other matters that will more fully appear by the deposition of said Steward,—in consequence thereof he was ordered to be confined in the Jail of this city, and the following commitment was issued:

“To the Keeper of the Jail of PHILADELPHIA County:

“You are hereby required to receive into your custody David McCutcheon, and keep him in close confinement until discharged by this Committee.

“By order of the Committee:

“GEORGE CLYMER, Chairman.”

By order of the Board an Order was drawn on John Nixon, Esq., and others, the Committee of Accounts, in favour of William Richards and Nathaniel Falconer, or either of their Orders, for £300, to be charged to their accounts for Alarm Signals.

By order of the Board an Order was drawn on John Nixon, Esq., and others, the Committee of Accounts, in favour of William Richards, or his Order, for £400, to be charged to his account towards the payment of Provincial Naval Stores.

In Committee of Safety, June 27, 1776.

Present: Owen Biddle, John Nixon, George Ross, Chairman, Samuel Howell, Daniel Roberdeau, James Biddle, George Clymer, Thomas Wharton, Jun., Robert White, Samuel Morris, Jun., George Gray.

By order of the Board an Order was drawn on Michael Hillegas, Esq., in favour of Ludwig Kerker, for £1500, being so much advanced him towards the payment of provisions supplied the Provincial Troops.

Resolved, That the Officers confined in the Jail of this city be allowed 15s. per week for their subsistence from the time of their being first confined.

The, Board thinking it necessary that Captain Henry Dougherty should have proper Instructions for his government, the following were drawn up, approved of, and signed by the Chairman:

“In Committee of Safety, June 27, 1776.

“SIR: The Committee think it proper to give you the following Instructions to regulate your conduct as eldest Captain of the thirteen armed Boats or Galleys in the service of this Province:

“You are forthwith to take upon you the command of the said armed Boats, and station them at anchor at the east side of Fort-Island, and keep them at that station until otherwise ordered by this Board, or the necessity of the service shall require their removal.

“You are to cause the said armed Boats to be frequently exercised, and keep them in a complete state of preparation to receive the enemy; and the better to effect this, immediately take an exact survey of the present condition of the said armed Boats, and whatever may be wanting in their equipments make a report of to Captain William Richards, who is appointed and directed to supply all their deficiencies.

“The officers must constantly lodge in their respective boats, and you are to take particular care that neither officers nor men be absent from their respective vessels any length of time without your license in writing, or the leave of this Board; and you are not to suffer more than four officers, and of that number not more than two to be Captains, to be absent at any one time, nor any of them to be longer absent than for forty-eight hours at one time.

“You are to cause fifty rounds of Powder to be delivered from the Ammunition Vessel on board each of the said boats, for which the respective Captains are to give receipts, and all the Powder now on board said boats to be put on board the said Ammunition Vessel, and order her up immediately to this city to deliver the same to the Commissary.

“You are by all possible means to establish such a proper sense of subordination among the men of the boats, that all the orders you think necessary to issue be punctually and implicitly obeyed—a loose and relaxed discipline utterly enfeebling every military establishment, however respectable it may otherwise be in the circumstance of number and force.

“Should any accident or circumstance happen in the Fleet that has the least tendency to affect the service, you are to give the earliest information of it to the Committee of Safety, that they, if they have the means of remedy, may apply such as the nature of the case may require.

“These being the principal matters that have occurred to the Committee, they earnestly recommend that you endeavour to promote the utmost harmony between you and the officers of the Fleet, and between one another, on which depends so much the success of every undertaking where men are to act in concert, and mutual assistance is required.

“By order of the Committee:

“GEORGE ROSS, Chairman.”

“To Captain Henry Dougherty.”

By order of the Board Thomas Dewees, Jailer, was directed to discharge from confinement Robert Saunderson, a person taken with Captain Duncan Campbell some time past.

The Committee, having reason to believe that wicked and ill-disposed persons have seduced and enticed some of the men belonging to the Boats to desert the service and go into other employ, have thought it necessary to publish the following Resolve of Assembly:

“In Assembly, Tuesday, March 26, 1776.

“Resolved, That any person or persons whatever, within this Colony, who shall harbour and conceal any deserter (knowing him to be such) from the Continental forces, or any other forces raised within this or any other of the United Colonies for the defence of America, shall forfeit and pay any sum not exceeding fifty nor less than thirty dollars, or suffer three months’ imprisonment for each offence, being convicted thereof by the testimony of one or more witnesses before any two Justices of the Peace of the City, Borough, or County, respectively, where such offence shall be committed, who are hereby authorized to hear and determine all offences contrary to the above Resolve; which fine shall be deposited in the hands of the Overseers of the Poor of the City, Borough, or Township, where the offence is committed, for the use of the poor of such place.

“And the Committee give this publick notice that they are determined to prosecute, with the utmost rigour, any person who shall harbour, conceal, or in any manner employ any deserter from the service of this Colony.”

In Committee of Safety, June 28, 1776.

Present: Owen Biddle, Chairman, Samuel Howell, Daniel Roberdeau, James Biddle, George Clymer, Robert White, George Gray.

Thomas Dewees, Jailer, was directed to discharge a man belonging to Captain Dougherty, agreeable to sentence of Court-Martial.

Resolved, That the pay of the Captain-Lieutenant of the Artillery Company be twenty-two Dollars per month.