In Congress June 20. 1776

Resolved That a committee of five be appointed to consider what provision ought to be made for such as are wounded or disabled in the 232land or sea service and report a plan to Congress.1 The members chosen Mr. Payne Mr. F. Lee, Mr. Hall,2 Mr. Ellery3 and Mr. Lewis.

Extract from the minutes, Chas. Thomson secy.

MS.

1.

Congress accepted the committee’s report on Aug. 26. See the Journals of the Continental Congress, 5:702–705.

2.

Lyman Hall (1724–1790), a 1747 graduate of Yale, practiced medicine in Wallingford, Conn., until 1752, and then in Dorchester, S.C. Several years later he moved to Georgia, which he represented in the Continental Congress (1775–1777). He was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and in 1783 served as governor of Georgia ( DAB ).

3.

William Ellery (1727–1820), a 1747 graduate of Harvard, practiced law in Newport. He was a delegate from Rhode Island to the Continental Congress and signed the Declaration of Independence. He served in Congress until 1785 and then was collector for the port of Newport from 1790 until his death ( DAB ).

Hond. Sir, Orange Furnace June 20th 1776

Yours of the 13th to Mr. Griffiths he brought up here in order to hurry on the Guns, but being determined to Ascertain the Quality before I proceeded any further, made trial of five I have cast & find the Mettle has not sufficient Cohesion tho as grey as lead, and with the usual Powder (which I had by me for blasting in the Myne) they have burst in Pieces in proving, so thought it my Duty to give you this earliest Notice. The Draft of the Twelve Pounder was drawn by Coll. Masen of the Artillery, the Nine Pounder by Mr. Collis Superintindant of the Newyork Water Works, and the four Pounder by Mr. Griffiths all of them as directed sixteen Calibers of their Shott. The Wood Work all turn’d by one Mr. Turk, and the Pewter Mouldings by Bradford & McEwen of New York. had been at the expence to get some Cannon Moulder that had work’d at Carron1 in Scotland, & others that had cast the Brass Field Pieces at New York at exorbitant Wages, which with the Alterations & Expences I have been at are a very heavy Loss to a Person in my Situation. If the Gentlemen of the Committee are pleased to consider my Case, as I believe they dont wish any who are endeavouring to serve the Cause should be sufferers, I shall take it very kind. The Shott I hope to get ready as soon as was 233called for & am with the greatest sorrow for the Disassapointment Hond. Sir Your very Humble Servant,

Saml. Patrick

RC ; addressed: “To The Honble. Robert Treat Paine in Philada.”; endorsed in an undentified hand.

1.

The Carron Works, near Falkirk, Stirlingshire, were producing iron guns—from three-to forty-one-pounders—from 1759. In 1776 they cast their first “Carronade,” a short, light, iron cannon of some renown (Charles Ffoulkes, The Gun-Founders of England [Cambridge, 1937], 118).