The Osceola times., 1881-04-09
washing,on's FIRST Order Boob. .

Army ana Navy journal
I Among the curious and valuable relies
of the revolution now in the possession
of Mr. Joseph &. G. Kennedy. of Wash.
} ington. Is the FIRST ordcr-bOok ot Gen.
/ Wa, hingion, commenced By him when
: he took command of the Continental
army al Cambridge in July l77j. These
orders are about sevcnty-hve in number,
aud they extend from july 3 T. Septom-
{ her ~. They are not numbered in reg
ular succession some OF them are very
short frequently containing nothing but
. the parole aud countcr-igu, aud the de-
/ tails for officer Of the day and the officer
| of the main guard for the following day
Some of them are headed Cambridge
Headquarters" others Headquarters"
some are merely dated, and some only
headed with the day of the month.
The handwriting of the orders up to
: July II is scholarly, but the rest of them,
while plainly written, exhibit a ludi-
crous amount Of ignorance Of grammar.
/ The headquarter clerks were not quite
| as "well up as they are nowadays, and
/ there was then no established standard
/ of orthography. In the general orders
of July l6, l175, we read the following,
/ given verbatim:
The Continental Congress having earn
estly recommended that thursday next
10Th instant be observed by the inhabit-
ants of all the english Colonies upon
the Continent as a day OF public Fasting
Humiliation and prayer that they may
with united Hearts and Voices, Unfeign-
edly Confess their Sins before god and
Supplicate the allwise and merciiul Dis.
poser of Events to Avoid the Devasta-
tions and Calamities OF an Unnatural
war the Gen'l Orders that Day to be
regularly observed by the forces Under
his command in manner Exactly Direct
by the proclamation of the Continental
Congress--it is therefore strictly En-
joyned on ell officers and soldiers, not
upon duty, to attend Divine Service at
their accustomed places of worship as
well in the Lines as in the Encampments
and Quarters, and it is Expected that all
those who do 90 to worship to take their
Arms Ammunition and Accouterments
and are prepared for Immediate Action
if Called upon.
The following is the text of the first
order issued by Washington. As the
order book contains no order assuming
command, it is presumed none was is
sued:
/ CHEADQU ARTERs At CAMBRIDGE. July 3,
] l775.-By his EXcellency George Wash
ingten, Esq. Commander.inC Chief of the
/ United Colonies of \. America.
! The Coin or Commanding Officer of
each Regiment is ordered forthwith to
make true Returns of the Number of
men in their respective regiments, dis
| tingushing those who are sick, wounded
or absent on Furlow and also the Guam
| tity. of ammunition each regiment now
has.
After Orders o'clock p. IN.
| by his EXcellency Genl Washington.
| 1t is ordered that Coin Glover's Regi-
ment be ready this evening with all the
accoutrements to march at minutes
warning to support Genl Fulsome of the
New llampshii Forces in case his lines
sho be attacked.
! 1t is ordered that Coin Prescotts Regi-
ment equip themselves to march this
evening and take possession of we woods
leading to Leekmere's point and in case
of an attack then Coin tilover's regiment
to march immedly to ye support
None of the orders are signed by
staff officer. The orders of July an
nounce that Thomas Miflin, Esq, is
appointed by the Genl one of his aide
de camps, Joseph Reed, Esq, is in like
manner SECRETARY TO the Genl, and they
are in future TO be considered and re-
garded as such" The same order an
nounces 10 the army that: "The Honble
Artemus Ward, Charles Lee Philip
SCHUYLER and Israel Putnam, Esqrs., are
appointed Major Generals in the Ameri-
can army, by the honble Continental
Congress and due obedience is to be paid
them as such"
In l775 there was the same clanish-
ness in the different colonies that has
existed ever since. This was likely to
/ produce trouble, and Washington allud-
| ed to il in one paragraph of his order of
July ith. He says: THE Continental
| Congress having now taken all the
/ troops of the several colonies which
have been raised or which may be here
after raised for the support and defense
of the liberties of America into their
| pay and service. they are now the troops
of the United Provinces of North Amer
lea, and it is hoped that all distinctions
Of colopiesiwil be laid aside, SO that one
and the same Spirit may animate the
whole and the only contest be who shall
render on this great and trying occasion
! the most essential service to the great
and common cause in which we are all
engaged.