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RULES
AND
ARTICLES,
FOR THE BETTER
GOVERNMENT
OF THE
TROOPS
Raised, or to be raised, and kept in pay by and as
the joint Expence of the
TWELVE UNITED ENGLISH COLONIES
of
NORTH AMERICA
PHILADELPHIA
Printed by William and Thomas Bradford, 1775.
[Handwritten name at bottom of page:] Wm Tudor / Advocate

[Page 2 is blank.]

RULES
AND ARTICLES,
In GENERAL CONGRESS of the
UNITED COLONIES, held at PHILADEL-
PHIA, on the 10th day of May, 1775.

WHEREAS, his Majesty's most faithful subjects in these Colonies
are reduced to a dangerous and critical situation, by the at-
tempts of the British Ministry, to carry into execution, by force of
arms, several unconstitutional, and oppressive acts of the British
Parliament for laying taxes in America, to enforce the collection of
these taxes, and for altering and changing the Constitution and inter-
nal police of some of these Colonies, in violation of the natural, and
civil rights of the Colonies.

And Whereas, hostilities have been actually commenced in the Mas-
sachusetts-Bay, by the British troops, under the command of General
Gage, and the lives of a number of the inhabitants of that Colony,
destroyed: -- The Town of Boston not only having been long occupied
as a garrisoned town in an enemies country, but the inhabitants
thereof treated with a severity, and cruelty not to be justified, even
towards declared enemies. And whereas large reinforcements have
been ordered, and are soon expected for the declared purpose of compelling
the Colonies to submit to the operation of the said acts, which hath
rendered it necessary, and an indispensable duty, for the express pur-
pose of securing and defending these Colonies, and preserving them

in safety against all attempts, to carry the said acts, into execution:
That an armed force be raised sufficient to defeat such hostile designs,
and preserve, and defend the Lives, Liberties, and Immunities of
the Colonists; for the due regulating and well ordering of which --
Resolved, That the following RULES and ORDERS be attended
to, and observed by such forces as are or may hereafter be raised for
the people aforesaid.--

ARTICLE 1. That every officer who shall be retained
in the Continental Army, shall, at the time of his ac-
ceptance of his commission, subscribe these rules and regula-
tions.

ART. 2. It is earnestly recommended to all officers and
soldiers diligently to attend Divine Service; and all officers
and soldiers, who shall behave indecently or irreverently at
any place of Divine Worship, shall, if commissioned officers,
be brought before a court-martial, there to be publicly and
severely reprimanded by the President; if non-commissioned
officers or soldiers, every person so offending, shall, for his
first offence, forfeit One Sixth of a Dollar, to be deducted out
of his next pay; for the second offence, he shall not only for-
feit a like sum, but be confined for twenty-four hours; and
for every like offence, shall suffer and pay in like manner, which
money to be forfeited shall be applied to the use of the sick sol-
diers of the troop or company to which the offender belongs.

ART. 3. Whatsoever non-commissioned officer or soldier
shall use any profane oath or execration, shall incur the penal-
ties expressed in the foregoing article; and if a commissioned
officer be thus guilty of profane cursing or swearing, he shall
forfeit and pay for each and every such offense the sum of
Four Shillings, lawful money.

ART. 4. Any officer or soldier, who shall behave himself
with contempt or disrespect towards the General or Generals,
or Commander in Chief of the Continental Forces, or shall
speak false words, tending to his, or there hurt, or dishonour,
shall be punished, according to the nature of his offence, by
the judgment of a general court-martial.

ART. 5. Any officer or soldier, who shall begin, excite,
cause, or join in any mutiny or sedition in the regiment,

troop, or company to which he belongs, or in any other re-
giment,troop, or company of the continental forces, either
by land or sea, or in any party, post, detachment, or guard,
on any pre-tence whasoever, shall suffer death or such other
punishment as a general court martial shall direct.

ART. 6. Any officer, non-commissioned officer, or soldier,
who being present at any mutiny, or sedition, does not use his
utmost endeavors to suppress the same, or coming to the
knowledge of any mutiny, or intended mutiny, does not,
without delay, give information thereof to the commanding
Officer, shall be punished by order of a general court martial
according to the nature of his offence.

ART. 7. Any Officer or Soldier, who shall strike his su-
perior officer, or draw or offer to draw, or shall lift up any
weapon, or offer and violence against him, being in the execu-
tion of his office, on any pretence whatsoever, or shall disobey
any lawful commands of his Superior Officer, shall suffer such
punishment as shall, according to the nature of his offence, be
ordered by the sentence of a general Court-Martial.

ART.8. Any non-commissioned Officer or Soldier, who
shall desert, or without leave of his commanding Officer, absent
himself from the troop or company to which he belongs, or
from any detachment of the same, shall, upon being convicted
thereof, be punished according to the nature of his offence, at
the discretion of a general court martial.

ART. 9. Whatsoever officer or soldier shall be convicted
of having advised or persuaded any officer or soldier to
desert, shall suffer such punishment as shall be ordered by the
sentence of a general court martial.

ART. 10. All officers, of what condition soever, shall
have power to part and quell all quarrells, frays, and disorders,
though the persons concerned should belong to another regi-
ment, troop or company; and either order officers to be arrest-
ed, or non-commissioned officers or soldiers to be confined and
imprisoned, till their proper superior officers shall be acquaint-
ed therewith; and whoever shall refuse to obey such officer
(though of an inferior rank) or shall draw his sword upon
him, shall be punished at the discretion of a general court-
martial.

ART. 11. No officer or soldier shall use any reproachful
or provoking speeches or gestures to another; nor shall pre-
sume to send a challenge to any person to fight a duel: And
whoever shall knowingly and willingly suffer any person what-
soever to go forth to fight a duel; or shall second, promote,
or carry any challenge, shall be deemed as a principal: And
whatsoever officer or soldier shall upbraid another for refusing
a challenge, shall also be considered a challenger: And all
such offenders, in any of these or such like cases, shall be pu-
nished at the discretion of a general Court-Martial.

ART. 12. Every officer commanding in quarters, or on a
march, shall keep good order, and, to the utmost of his power,
redress all such abuses, or disorders which may be committed
by any officer or soldier under his command; If upon any com-
plaint made to him, of officers, or soldiers beating, or other-
wise ill-treating any person, or of committing any kind of
riot, to the disquieting of the inhabitantsof this continent; he
the said Commander, who shall refuse or omit to see justice
done on the offender or offenders, and reparation made to the
party or parties injured, as far as the offenders wages shall
enable him or them, shall, upon due proof thereof, be punish-
ed as ordered by a general court-martial, in such manner as if
he himself had committed the crimes or disorders complained
of.

ART. 13. If any officer should think himself to be wrong-
ed by his Colonel or the commanding Officer of the Regiment,
and shall, upon due application made to him, be refused to be
redressed, he may complain to the General or Commander in
Chief of the Continental Forces, in order to obtain justice,
who is hereby required to examine into said complaint, and
see that justice be done.

ART. 14. If any inferior officer or soldier, shall think
himself wronged by his Captain or other Officer commanding
the troop or company to which he belongs, he is to complain
thereof to the commanding Officer of the Regiment, who is
hereby required to summon a regimental court-martial, for the
doing justice to the complainant; from which regimental court-
martial, either party may, if he thinks himself still aggrieved,
appeal to a general court-martial; but if, upon a second hear-
ing, the appeal shall appear to be vexatious and groundless,

the person so appealing, shall be punished at the discretion of
the general court-martial.

ART 15. All commissioned officers found guilty by a
general court-martial of any fraud or embezzlement, shall for-
feit all his pay, be ipso facto cashiered, and deemed unfit for
further service as an officer.

ART. 16. ALL non-commissioned-officers and soldiers
convicted before a regimental court-martial of stealing, em-
bezzling or destroying ammunition, provisions, tools, or any
thing belonging to the public stores, if a non-commissioned
officer, to be reduced to the ranks, and punished with whip-
ping, not less than fifteen, no more than thirty-nine lashes,
at the discretion of the court-martial; if a private soldier,
with the same corporal punishment.

ART 17. In all cases where a commissioned officer is
cashiered for cowardice or fraud, it shall be added in the punish-
ment, that the crime, name, place of abode, and punishment
of the delinquent be published in the News-papers, in and
about the Camp, and of that Colony from which the offender
came or usually resides: After which it shall be deemed
scandalous in any officer to associate with him.

ART 18. All non-commissioned officers and soldiers, who
shall be found one mile from the camp, without leave in writing
from their commanding officer, shall suffer such punishment as
shall be inflicted on him or them by the sentence of a regimental
court-martial.

ART. 19. No officer or soldier shall lie out of his quarters
or camp, without leave from the commanding officer of the
regiment, upon penalty, if an officer, of being muleted one
month's pay for the first offence, and cashiered for the
second; if a non-commissioned officer or soldier, of being
confined seven days on bread and water for the first offence,
and the same punishment and a forfeiture of a week's pay
for the second.

ART. 20. Every non-commissioned officer and soldier shall
retire to his quarters, or tent, at the beginning of the retreat; in
default of which, he shall be punished according to the nature
of his offence, by order of the commanding officer.

ART. 21. No officer, non-commissioned officer or soldier
shall fail of repairing, at the time fixed, to the place of parade
or exercise, or other rendezvous appointed by the command-
ing officer, if not prevented by sickness, or some other evident
necessity or shall go from the same place rendezvous, or
from his guard, without leave from his commanding officer,
before he shall be regularly dismissed or relieved, on penalty of
being punished according to the nature of his offence, by the
sentence of a regimental court-martial.

ART. 22. Whatsoever commissioned officer shall be found
drunk on his guard, party, or other duty under arms, shall
be cashiered and drummed out of the army with infamy;
any non-commissioned officer or soldier, shall
be sentenced to be whipt, not less than twenty nor more than
thirty-nine lashes, according to the nature of the offence.

ART. 23. Whatsoever officer or soldier, placed as centi-
nel, shall be found sleeping upon his post, or shall leave it
before he shall be regularly relieved, if a commissioned of-
ficer, shall be cashiered and drummed out of the army with
infamy; if a non-commissioned officer or soldier, shall be
sentenced to be whipped, not less than twenty and nor more than
thirty-nine lashes, according to the nature of the offence.

ART. 24. Any person belonging to the Continental
army, who by discharging of fire arms, beating of drums, or
by any other means whatsoever, shall occasion false alarms, in
camp of quarters, shall suffer such punishment as shall be or-
dered by the sentence of a general court-martial.

ART. 25. Any officer or soldier, who shall without urgent
necessity, or without leave of his superior officer, quit his
platoon or division, shall be punished according to the nature
of his offence, by the sentence of a regimental court-martial.

ART. 26. No officer or soldier shall do violence, or offer
any insult, or abuse, to any person who shall bring provisions
or other necessaries, to the camp, or quarters, of the conti-
nental army; any officer or soldier so offending, shall, upon com-
plaint being made to the commanding officer, suffer such punish-
ment as shall be ordered by a regimental court-martial.

ART. 27. Whatsoever officer or soldier shall misbehave
himself before the enemy, or shamefully abandon any post

committed to his charge, or shall speak word, inducing
others to do the like, shall suffer death.

ART. 28. Any person belonging to the Continental army
who shall make known the watchword to any person who is not
intitled to receive it, according to the rules and discipline of
war, or shall presume to give a parole, or watch-word different
from what he received, shall suffer death, or such other punish-
ment as shall be ordered by the sentence of a regimental court-
martial.

ART. 29. Whosoever, belonging to the Continental army,
shall relieve the enemy with money, victuals, or ammunition;
or shall knowingly harbour or protect an enemy, shall suffer
such punishment as by a general court-martial shall be ordered.

ART. 30. All persons convicted of holding a treacherous
correspondence with, or giving intelligence to the enemy,
shall suffer death, or such other punishment as a general
court-martial shall think proper.

ART. 31. Any officer or soldier who shall desert to the
enemy, and afterwards be taken, shall suffer death, or such other
punishment as a general court martial shall direct.

ART. 32. All public stores taken in the enemy's camp
or magazines, whether of artillery, ammunition, cloathing,
or provisions, shall be secured for the use of the United
Colonies. And all commissioned officers, found guilty by
a general court-martial, of embezzling the same, or any of
them, shall be forfeit all his pay, be ipso facto cashiered, and
deemed unfit for farther service as an officer. And all non-
commissioned officers and soldiers, convicted before a regi-
mental court-martial of stealing or embezzling the same, if
a non-commissioned officer, shall be reduced to the ranks,
and punished with whipping, not less than fifteen, nor more
than thirty-nine lashes, at the discretion of the court-martial,
if a private soldier, with the same punishment.

ART. 33. If any officer or soldier shall leave his post
or colours, in time of an engagement, to go in search of
plunder, he shall, if a commissioned officer, be cashiered
and drummed out of the army with infamy, and forfeit all
share of plunder, if a non-commissioned officer or soldier,
be whipped, not less than twenty, nor more than thirty-nine

lashes, according to the nature of the offence, and forfeit
all share of plunder taken from the enemy.

ART. 34. If any commander of any post, intrenchment,
or fortress, shall be compelled, by the officers or soldiers under
his command, to give it up to the enemy, or to abandon it,
the commissioned officer, non-commissioned officers or soldier
who shall be convicted of having so offended, shall suffer death,
or such other punishment as may be inflicted upon them by the
sentence of a general court martial.

ART. 35. All Suttlers and Retailers to a camp, and all per-
sons whatsoever, serving with the continental army in the field,
though not inlisted soldiers, are to be subject to the articles,
rules, and regulations of the continental army.

ART. 36. No general court-martial shall consist of less
number than thirteen, none of which shall be under the degree
of a commissioned officer; and the president shall be a field
officer: And the president of each and every court-martial,
whether general or regimental, shall have power to administer
an oath to every witness, in order to the trial of offenders.
And the members of all courts-martial shall be duly sworn by
the President; and the next in rank, on the court-martial, shall
administer the oath to the President.

ART. 37. The members, both of general and regimental
courts-martial, shall, when belonging to different corps, take
the same rank which they hold in the army; but when courts-
martial shall be composed of officers of one corps, they shall
take their ranks according to their commissions by which they
are mustered in the same corps.

ART. 38. All the members of a court-marshall are to
behave with calmness, decency, and impartiality; and in
giving their votes, are to begin with the youngest of lowest
in commission.

ART. 39. No field officer shall be tried by any person un-
der the degree of captain; nor shall any proceedings or trials
be carried on, excepting between the hours of eight in the
morning, and three in the afternoon, except in cases which re-
quire an immediate example.

ART. 40. The commissioned officers of every regiment
may, by the appointment of their colonel of commanding offi-

cer, hold regimental courts-martial for the enquiring into such
disputes or criminal matters as may come before them, and for
the inflicting corporal punishments, for small offences, and
shall give judgement by the majority of voices; but no sen-
tence shall be executed till the commanding officer (not being
a member of the court-martial) shall have confirmed the same.

ART. 41. No regimental court martial shall consist of less
than five officers, excepting in cases where that number cannot
be easily assembled, when three may be sufficient; who
are likewise to determine the upon the sentence by the majority of
voices; which sentence is to be confirmed by the commanding
officer, not being a member of the court-martial.

ART. 42. Every officer, commnding in any fort, castle,
or barracks, or elsewhere, where the corps under his command
consists of detachments from different regiments, or of inde-
pendent companies, may assemble courts martial for the trial of
offenders in the same manner as if they were regimental, whose,
sentence is not to be executed till it shall be confirmed by the
said commanding officer.

ART. 43. No person whatsoever shall use menacing words,
signs, or gestures in the presence of a court-martial then setting,
or shall cause any disorder or riot, so as to disturb their proceed-
ing, on the penalty of being punished at the discretion of the
said court-martial.

ART. 44. To the end that offenders may be brought to
justice; whenever any officer or soldier shall commit a crime
deserving punishment, he shall by his commanding officer, if
an officer, be put in arrest; if a non-commissioned officer or
soldier, be imprisioned till he shall be either tried by a court-
martial, or shall be lawfully discharged by proper authority.

ART. 45. No officer or soldier who shall be put in arrest,
or imprisonment, shall continue in his confinement more than
eight days, or to such time as a court-martial can be conveni-
ently assembled.

ART. 46. No officer commanding a guard, or provost-
marshal, shall refuse to receive or keep any prisoner committed
to his charge, by an officer belonging to the continental forces;
which officer shall at the same time deliver an account in writ-
ing, signed by himself, of the crime with which the said pri-
soner is charged.

ART. 47. No officer commanding a guard, or provost-
marshal, shall presume to release any prisoner committed to
his charge, without proper authority for so doing; nor shall he
suffer any prisoner to escape, on the penalty of being punished
for it, by the sentence of a general court-martial.

ART. 48. Every officer or provost-marshal, to whose charge
prisoners shall be committed, is hereby required, within twen-
ty four hours after such committment, or as soon as he shall be
relieved from his guard, to give in writing to the Colonel of
the regiment to whom the prisoner belongs (where the prisoner
is confined upon the guard belonging to the said regiment, and
that his offence only relates to the neglect of duty in his own
corps)or to the commander in chief, their names, their crimes,
and the names of the officers who committed them, on the pe-
nalty of being punished for his disobedience or neglect, at the
discretion of a general court-marshal.

[12] ART. 49. And if any officer under arrest shall leave his
confinement before he is set at liberty by the officer who con-
fined him, or by a superior power, he shall be cashiered for it.

ART 50. Whatsoever commissioned officer shall be con-
victed before a general court-marshal, of behaving in a scanda-
lous, infamous manner, such as is unbecoming the character
of an officer and a gentleman, shall be discharged from the
service.

ART. 51. All officers, conducters, gunners, matrosses,
drivers, or any other person whatsoever, receiving pay or hire,
in the service of the continental artillery, shall be governed by
the aforesaid rules and articles, and shall be subject to be tried
by courts-martial, in like manner with the officers and soldiers
of the continental troops.

ART. 52. For differences arising amongst themselves, or
in matters relating soley to their own corps, the courts-martial
may be completed of their own officers: but where a number
sufficient of such officers cannot be assembled, or in matters
wherein other corps are interested, the officers of artillery shall
fit in court-martial, with the officers of the other corps.

ART. 53. All crimes not capital, and all disorders and
neglects, which officers and soldiers may be guilty of, to the
prejudice of good order and military discipline, though not
mentioned in the article of war, are to be taken cognizance of

by a general or regimental court-martial, according to the na-
ture and degree of the offence, and be punished at their dis-
cretion.

ART. 54. That no person shall be sentenced by a court-
martial to suffer death, except in the cases expressly mentioned
in the foregoing articles; nor shall any punishment be inflicted
at the discretion of a court-martial, other than degrading,
cashering, drumming out of the army, whipping not exceed-
ing thirty-nine lashes, fine not exceeding two months pay of
the offender, imprisonment not exceeding one month.

ART. 55. The field officers of each and every regiment
are to appoint some suitable person belonging to such regiment,
to receive all such fines as may arise within the same, for any
breach of any of the foregoing articles, and shall direct the
same to be carefully and properly applied to the relief of such
sick, wounded, or necessitous soldiers, as belong to such regi-
ment; and such person shall account with such officer for all
fines received, and the application thereof.

ART. 56. All members setting in courts-martial shall be
sworn by the president of said courts, which president shall
himself be sworn by the officer in said court next in rank:--
The oath to be administered previous to their proceeding to
the trial of any offender, in form following, viz.
"You A.B. swear that you will well and truly try, and im-
partially determine the cause of the prisoner now to be tried, according
to the rules for regulating the Continental Army. So help you
God."

ART. 57. All persons called to give evidence, in any cause,
before a court martial, who shall refuse to give evidence, shall
be punished for such refusal, at the direction of such court-
martial: The oath to be administered in the following form, viz.
"You swear the evidence you shall give in the cause now in
hearing, shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the
truth. So help you God."

ART. 58. Every officer commanding a regiment, troop,
or company, shall, upon notice given to him by the com-
missary of the musters, or from one of his deputies, assem-
ble the regiment, troop, or company under his command,
in the next convenient place for their being mustered, on
penalty of being cashiered, and muleted of his pay.

ART. 59. Every Colonel or other field officer, or officers
commanding any corps, to which there is no field officer, and
actually residing with it, may give furloughs to non-commis-
sioned officers and soldiers, in such numbers, and for so long
a time, as he shall judge to be most consistent with the good of
the service; but no non-commissioned officer of soldier shall, by
leave of his captain, or inferior officer, commanding the troop
or company (his field officer not being present)be absent above
twenty days in six months, nor shall more then two private men
be absent at the same time from their troop or company, except-
ing some extraordinary occasion shall require it, of which oc-
casion the field officer present with, and commanding the regi-
ment or independent corps, is to be judge.

ART. 60. At every muster, the commanding officer of
each regiment, troop, or company, there present, shall give
to the commissary of musters certificates, signed by himself,
signifying how long such officers, non-commissioned officers,
and soldiers, who shall not appear at the said muster, have
been absent, and the reason of their absence, which reasons
and the time of absence, shall be inserted in the muster rolls,
opposite to the names of such absentee: And the surgeons
or their mates, shall at the same time give to the Commis-
sary of musters a certificate signed by them, signifying the
state of health or sickness of those under their care, and the
said certificates shall, together with the muster roll, be by
the said Commissary transmitted to the General, and to this
or any future Congress of the United Colonies or Commit-
tee appointed thereby, within twenty days next after such
muster being taken, or failure whereof, the Commissary so
offending, shall be discharged from the service.

ART. 61. Every officer who shall be convicted, before
a general court-martial, of having signed a false certificate re-
lating to the absence of either officer, non-commissioned of-
ficer, or private soldier; and every Surgeon or Mate con-
victed of signing a false certificate, relating to the health or
sickness of those under his care, shall be cashiered.

ART. 62. Every officer who shall knowingly make a false
muster of man or horse, and every officer or commissary, who
shall willingly sign, direct, or allow, the signing of the muster
rolls, wherein such false muster in contained, shall, upon proof
made thereof, by two witnesses, before a general court-martial,

be cashiered, and moreover forfeit all such pay as may be due
to him at the time of conviction of such offence.

ART. 63. Any commissary who shall be convicted of
having taken any gift or gratuity on the mustering any regi-
ment, troop, or company, or on the signing the muster rolls,
shall be displaced from his office, and forfeit his pay, as in the
preceeding article.

ART. 64. Any officer, who shall presume to muster any
person as a soldier, who is at other times accustomed to wear a
livery, or who does not actually do his duty as a soldier, shall
be deemed guilty of having made a false muster, and shall
suffer acordingly.

ART. 65. Every officer who shall knowingly make a false
return to the Commander in Chief of the American forces, or
to any his superior officer, authorized to call for such returns,
of the state of the regiment, troop, company, or garrison, un-
der his command, or of arms, ammunition, cloathing, or
other stores thereunto belonging, shall by a court-martial be
cashiered.

ART. 66. The commanding officer of every regiment,
troop, independent company or garrison, in the service afore-
said, shall, in the beginning of every month remit to the Com-
mander in chief of said forces an exact return of the state of
the regiment, troop, independent company, or garrison under
his command, specifying the names of the officers not then
residing at their posts, and the reason for, and the time of their
absence: Whoever shall be convicted of having through
neglect or design omitted the sending such returns, shall be
punished according to the nature of his crime by the judge-
ment of a general court martial.

ART. 67. No Suttler shall be permitted to sell any kind
of liquors or victual, or to keep their houses or shops open,
for the entertainment of soldiers, after nine at night, or be-
fore the beating of the reveilles, or upon Sundays, during divine
service or sermon, on the penalty of being dismissed from all
future suttling.

ART. 68. All officers commanding in the camp, or in
any forts, barracks, or garrisons, are hereby required to see
that the persons permitted to suttle, shall supply the soldiers
with good and wholesome provisions at a reasonable price, as
they shall be answerable for their neglect.

ART. 69. No officers commanding in any camp, garri-
sons, forts, or barracks, shall either themselves exact exorbi-
tant prices for houses or stalls, let out to suttlers, or shall con-
nive at the like exactions in others, nor lay any duty or impo-
sitions upon, or be interested in the sale of such victuals, li-
quors, or other necessaries of life, which are brought into the
camp, garrison, fort, or barracks, for the use of the soldiers,
on the penalty of being discharged from the service.

ART. 70. That the general, or commander in chief, for the
time being, shall have full power of pardoning , or mitigating
any of the punishments ordered to be inflicted, for any of the
offences mentioned in the foregoing article; and every offen-
der convicted as aforesaid, by any regimental court martial,
may be pardoned, or have his punishment mitigated by the co-
lonel or officer commanding the regiment.

ART. 71. When any commissioned officer shall happen to
die, or be killed in the service of the United Colonies, the Ma-
jor of the regiment, or the officer doing the Major's duty in
his absence, shall immediately secure all his effects, or equipage
then in camp or quarters; and shall before the next regimental
court-martial, make an inventory thereof and forthwith trans-
mit the same to the office of the Secretary of the Congress, or
assembly of the province in which the corps is stationed or
shall happen to be at the time of the death of such officer; to
the end, that his executors may, after payment of his debts in
quarters, and internment, receive the overpluss, if any be, to
his or their use.

ART. 72. When any non-commissioned officer, or private
soldier, shall happen to die, or be killed in the service of the
united colonies, the then commanding officer of the troop or
company, shall, in the presence of the two other commissioned
officers, take an account of whatever effects he dies possess of,
and transmit the same, as in the case above provided for, in
order that the same may be secured for, and paid to their re-
spectful representatives.

By ORDER of the CONGRESS,

PHILADELPHIA,
Nov. 7, 1775.

JOHN HANCOCK, President
A true Copy from the Minutes,
CHARLES THOMSON, Secretary

[Manuscript signatures of officers in Col. William Prescott's regiment:]