January 28, 1776.-"The colonels or commanding officers of regiments are requested to buy any good arms which the militia may voluntarily incline to sell." (Orders, General Headquarters, Cambridge.)

February 3, 1776.-"All arms purchased by the officers sent upon that duty are to be first delivered to Mr. Commissary Cheever for inspection, who is to report their number and goodness to the general before they are delivered out of his store." (Orders, General Headquarters, Cambridge.)

February 5, 1776.

Resolved,

That the appointments by General Schuyler of Mr. Hubbard Brown to be conductor of artillery, Mr. Peter Schuyler to take charge of the arms, be confirmed; and that General Schuyler be desired to inform Congress of the proper salaries to be annexed to these offices.

Resolved, That it be recommended to the convention or committee of safety of New York to prosecute the discovery of the lead mine at New Canaan.

February 20, 1776.

Resolved, That two hundred and fifty twelve-pounders, sixty ninepounders, and sixty-two four-pounders be purchased for the use of these Colonies;

That the committee on ways and means of procuring cannon be empowered to purchase or contract for making the same;

That a new member be added to the committee.
The member chosen: Mr. W. Livingston.

February 23, 1776.

Resolved, That a committee of five be appointed to contract for the making of muskets and bayonets for the use of the United Colonies, and to consider of farther ways and means of promoting and encouraging the manufacture of firearms in all parts of the United Colonies. The members chosen: Mr. Paine, Mr. Wilson, Mr. Huntington, Mr. Lee, and Mr. L. Morris.

Resolved, That the secret committee be empowered, for the purpose of procuring arms and ammunition, to export the produce of these Colonies, equal to the amount of that by them exported in two vessels lately taken by the enemy.

Resolved, That it be recommended to the several assemblies, conventions, councils, or committees of safety, and committees of correspondence and inspection in the United Colonies to exert themselves in devising farther ways and means of promoting and encouraging the manufacture of saltpetre and of introducing that manufacture into private families.

That it be recommended to the assemblies and conventions in the United Colonies that they immediately establish public works in each and every county in their respective colonies, at the expense of such colonies, for the manufacture of saltpetre, and appoint committees of their own members immediately to set up such manufactures;

That it be recommended to the assemblies and conventions, councils, or committees of safety of every colony forthwith to erect powder mills in their respective colonies, and appoint committees to build such mills and procure persons well skilled in the manufacture of powder, at the expense of such colonies;

That a committee of this Congress, to consist of one member from each colony, be appointed to consider of further ways and means of promoting and encouraging the manufactures of saltpetre, sulphur, and gunpowder in these colonies, and to correspond with the several assemblies and conventions and councils or committees of safety in the several colonies, that Congress may be from time to time truly informed of the progress made in these manufactures.

The members chosen: Mr. Bartlett, Mr. Paine, Mr. Hopkins, Mr. Huntington, Mr. L. Morris, Mr. Sergeant. Mr. Humphreys, Mr. Read, Mr. Paca, Mr. Braxton, Mr. Hewes, Mr. E. Rutledge, and Mr. Bullock.

March 3, 1776.-"The Quartermaster-General may draw the carbines out of the commissary's stores and put them into the hands of the carpenters or such others as he shall think will use them to the best advantage, taking care to return them when called for. All arms in store fit for use may be delivered out to the AdjutantGeneral's order." (Orders, General Headquarters, Cambridge.)

April 13, 1776.

Resolved, That the committee for casting cannon be directed to contract for the casting of forty howitzers, with a sufficient quantity of shells.

April 19, 1776.

Resolved, That an immediate supply of arms be furnished for the troops in Virginia, and that proper persons be appointed to procure them, subject to the order of Congress already entered into.

May 14, 1776.

Resolved, That, as a number of arms, fit for use, may be bought from the owners, who may incline to sell them, General Washington be directed to employ such an agent as he has proposed to go into the colonies for that purpose.

Resolved, That the secret committee be directed to deliver to Colonel Jacob Ford, jr., three tons of saltpetre to be by him manufactured intc gunpowder for the use of the United Colonies, on the same terms as others have agreed to manufacture it.

That the said committee be directed to deliver to Colonel Bird 200 lbs. of powder to prove the cannon he is making for the United Colonies.

Resolved, That the committee appointed to contract for the making of cannon be directed to employ proper persons to attend and see the cannon proved.

May 18, 1776.

Resolved, That it [letter from Mr. Langdon] be referred to the committee of secret correspondence and that the said committee be directed to apply to the marine committee for the use of one or more of the continental fleet; and that they send the same to the French West

India Islands, in order to procure, if possible, a number of muskets, not exceeding 10,000.

May 23, 1776.-From a resolve of this date, it appears that a continental factory of firearms existed at Lancaster, Pa., and a gunlock factory at Trenton, N. J.

May 25, 1776.

Resolved, That the arms, ammunition, and military stores taken by the armed schooner Franklin, or any other of the armed vessels in the pay of the United Colonies, be at the disposal of the general or Commander in Chief of the American forces.

June 3, 1776.

Resolved, That the general assembly of the colony of Massachusetts Bay, the governor and assembly of the colony of Connecticut, the conventions of New York and New Jersey, and the several conventions of such other of the United Colonies, in which there are any lead mines, be requested to transmit to Congress, with all convenient dispatch, the state and condition of the lead mines in their respective colonies, and use the most speedy means to procure their being wrought to effect.

Resolved,

That the Commander in Chief be authorized to form and fix such magazines of military stores as he may

judge necessary.

Resolved,

June 17, 1776.

That the committee appointed to contract for

cannon be directed to procure a number of brass or iron field pieces, to be made or purchased immediately.

June 25, 1776.

Resolved, That the committee appointed to contract for making muskets be directed to consider the propriety of granting a bounty, or other means, for encouraging the making of muskets.

July 4, 1776.

Resolved, That the Board of War be empowered to employ such a number of persons as they shall find necessary to manufacture flints for the Continent; and, for this purpose, to apply to the respective assemblies, conventions, and councils, or committee of safety of the United American States, or committees of inspection of the counties and towns thereunto belonging, for the names and places of abode of persons skilled in the manufactory aforesaid, and of the places in their respective States where the best flint stones are to be obtained, with samples of the same.

July 5, 1776.

Resolved, That Mr. John Coburn, who has acted as an assistant conductor of military stores in Canada, and has produced certificates of his having done his duty in that station, be allowed lieutenant's pay from the first day of March to the first day of June last.

July 16, 1776.

The Congress proceeded to the election of a commissary of military I stores for the flying camp; and the ballots being taken,

Benjamin Flower, esq., was elected.

July 19, 1776.

Resolved, That the committee appointed to contract for the making cannon be empowered to contract with Messrs. Hughes for one thousand tons of cannon on the terms by them proposed.

August 21, 1776.

Resolved, That the cannon committee be directed to contract for the immediate casting of six 6-pounders, six 12-pounders, four 8-inch howitzers, four 6-inch howitzers, and 6 cohorn mortars, to be made of brass, if a sufficient quantity of that metal can be procured; if not, to be cast of iron, and sent as soon as possible to General Gates for the use of the northern army, and that the said committee provide also carriages and everything necessary to complete the said artillery for service.

August 28, 1776.

Resolved, That there be an inspector or inspectors sufficiently qualified to judge the goodness of gunpowder, who shall examine every cask of gunpowder manufactured or to be purchased on account of the United States, by the most approved method of ascertaining the quality of gunpowder; that said inspector or inspectors to receive one-eighth part of a dollar for every hundredweight of powder he or they shall so examine;

That no gunpowder be received into the public magazine for the use of the United States of America, or delivered from the powder mills fort hat purpose, but such as has been approved by the public inspector as to its quickness in firing, strength, dryness, and other necessary qualities;

That the inspector mark each cask approved with the letters U. S. A., and such other marks as are necessary to distinguish the several sorts of powder;

That every maker of gunpowder mark every cask in which he shall pack his gunpowder with the first letters of his name;

That gunpowder be put into no casks but such as are well seasoned and dry;

That it be recommended to the legislatures of the several States of America to cause suitable inspectors to be appointed to examine and determine the quality of all gunpowder manufactured within their jurisdiction, and that no person be allowed to vend any gunpowder manufactured in any of the States of America unless the same, in the judgment of such inspector, shall be of sufficient quality, and to make such laws for executing this or any other regulations for promoting the manufacture of good gunpowder as to them may seem most convenient.

Congress then proceeded to the election of an inspector of gunpowder; and, the ballots being taken,

Robert Towers was chosen.

Ordered, That the secret committee furnish the said committee [appointed to contract for casting cannon] with two barrels of powder for proving cannon.

September 20, 1776.

Ordered, That Mr. Paine write to Governor Trumbull respecting the practicability of enlarging the furnace at Salisbury for casting heavy cannon there, and request his opinion concerning the same.

September 27, 1776.

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.

October 21, 1776.

The secret committee having informed Congress that a vessel was arrived in New Hampshire with a cargo on account of the Continent, among which was a quantity of flints, it was thereon

Resolved, That the secret committee be directed to order 30,000 of the said flints to General Schuyler, for the use of the army in the Northern Department, and the remainder to General Washington, for the use of the army under his immediate command.

October 22, 1776.

The secret committee reported that the cargo lately arrived at Portsmouth in the brig Marquis of Kildare, Captain Palmer, consists of the following articles, viz, 250 small arms, 100,000 flints,

and 10 tons of lead; whereupon,

..

Resolved, That 60,000 flints be sent to General Washington; That 38,000 flints, 150 small arins, and 8 tons of lead be sent to the northern army, under General Schuyler and General Gates.

November 4, 1776.

Resolved, That it be recommended to the several assemblies or conventions of the colonies, respectively, to set and keep their gunsmiths at work to manufacture good firelocks, with bayonets, each firelock be made with a good bridle lock, three-quarters of an inch bore, and of good substance at the breech, the barrel to be three feet 8 inches in length, the bayonet to be 18 inches in the blade, with a steel ramrod, the upper loop thereof to be trumpet-mouthed; that the price to be given to be fixed by the assembly or convention or committee of each Colony, and that until a sufficient quantity of good arms can be manufactured they import as many as are wanted by all the means in their

power.