Diary of John Adams, volume 3
1776-09-27
Fryday. September 27. 1776. Two Letters of the 24th. and 25th from General Washington, with sundry Papers inclosed; one of the 20th. from the Convention of New York; one of the 22d. from Joseph Trumbull; one of the 25th. from Colonel John Shee inclosing his Commission; and one of the 25th. from Jon. B. Smith requesting Leave to resign his office of Deputy Muster Master general were laid before Congress and read. Ordered that the Letters from General Washington, be referred to a Committee of five. The Members chosen Mr. Wythe, Mr. Hopkinson, Mr. Rutledge, Mr. J. Adams, and Mr. Stone.1
Ordered that the Secret Committee deliver to the Board of War, the Care And Custody of all Arms, Ammunition and other warlike Stores now under their care, or that may hereafter be imported or purchased by them for Account of the United States of America.
Washington's letters are printed in his
Writings, ed. Fitzpatrick, 6:105–118. The committee brought in a report on 30 Sept., which was acted on in part that day and in part on 7 Oct., the rest being postponed and thereafter merged with action on the report of the committee that had visited the army in New York (
JCC
, 5:836, 853, 855 ff.). The resolutions passed on the 30th were chiefly directed to improving army medical personnel and care; those passed on the 7th increased the pay of officers engaging to serve throughout the war. The authorship of the report is not known.