Be it therefore enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia that it shall & may be lawful for the governor with the advice of his privy council & he & they are hereby required to take such measures as to them shall seem most expedient for engaging the said nine battalions & also so many (of the sd Marines &) of the companies stationed on the Ohio as shall be willing to be of the Armies of the United States on the new establishment before recited; & for that purpose to give recruiting Powers to the officers commanding the same, or to send special Commissioners if that measure shall appear more effectual, or to adopt any other ways or means most likely to procure their speedy enlistment. [And whereas it will be necessary, in order to augment & form the said Marines into one complete battalion, that an additional company or companies should be raised for that purpose, but the numbers which may be wanting of officers & men being now unknown, the appointing & raising the same cannot be precisely directed, be it therefore enacted that it shall & may be lawful for the governor by warrant under his hand to authorize such of the County committees as he shall think proper to appoint such & so many captains & other inferior officers as may be wanting completely to officer the said battalion, who shall immediately proceed to raise their quotas of men : & in case any officers of the Marines engaging in the sd service shall fail to raise the quota of men hereafter prescribed for his office before the day of next it shall be lawful for the governor with the advice of the privy council either to appoint another in his stead or to continue him as shall appear most likely to expedite the raising his said quota. And be it farther enacted that the Committees for the counties of Fincastle, Botetourt, East-Augusta, & Hampshire shall each of them appoint one captain, 2 Lieutenants, one Ensign & four 1 Then follows this clause, which is stricken out: "a committee of three persons shall to be chosen by joint ballot of both houses shall proceed immediately." And Jefferson has written: "Govt. to re-enlist 9 former battalions, marines & Ohio garrisons. T. Nelson, R. H. Lee, etc." "Govr. to direct commees shall No. companies to compleat Battalions of marines."-T. J. sergeants to be added to the officers of the five companies stationed on the Ohio or to such of them as shall be willing to engage as aforesaid in the Continental service & shall with them be formed into one battalion; provided that if all or any of the officers of the sd five companies stationed on the Ohio shall refuse to enter into the sd service it shall be lawful for the Committee of the county from which such officer or officers received his or their appointment to appoint others in their room.] ' Quotas from And for raising the sd six additional battalions be the several it further enacted that the committee for the district counties. of West Augusta shall have power to appoint ten captains, twenty Lieutenants & ten Ensigns & the committees for the other counties in this commonwealth to appoint the following officers respectively to wit, the Commee for the county of 90 82 Accomack (1208 militia).2 - Albemarle (1254 militia) + 70 minte. 54 officers = 1270 [100] 95. 130 Amelia (abt. 1150) [90] 85 46 Amhurst (abt. 650, [91] 48 142 Augusta 1. Captain, 2 Lieutenants, & 1 Ensign & 4 serjeants (abt. 2000) [167] 149 Bedford (abt. 1400) [119] 104 Botetourt 1. Captain, 2 Lieutenants, & 1 Ensign & 4 serjeants (abt. 1600) 100 124 85 46 Buckingham (600 excluse officers) + 50 [51] 40 Berkeley (abt. 1200 Mr Wood) [95] 90 1 The paragraphs in brackets are stricken out. 2 In the bill as passed, from one to three officers are assigned to each county, and it is thus apparent that this list was merely an approximation of the probable recruits from each county, the figures to the right having been first written, and then struck out, those to the left representing the ultimate conclusion of the committee. 50. Dinwiddie (abt. 700 Mr. Tazew.) [55] 52 57. Dunmore (abt. 800 nt more yn 500 besides menonists &c., [63] 61 142. Fincastle 1. Captain, 2 Lieutenants, & I Ensign & 4 serjeants (2000) [157] 149 64. Gloster (abt. 900) [71] 67 37. Goochland (520) [41] 39 71. Halifax (abt. 1000) [79] 75 50. Hampshire 1. Captain, 2 Lieutenants, & I Ensign (abt. 700 rank & file) 114. Colo Brooke) [40] 38 Loudoun (abt. 1600 besides Quakers) [126] 119 42. Louisa (550 militia abt) + 50 minute men [47] 44 42. Lunenburgh (563 militia.) + 30 minte. [46] 43 21. Middlesx (abt 300) [24] 23 60. Muhlenburgh (850) [67] 63 57. 32. Nansemd. (abt. 800) [63] 60 Norfolk (900) + 100 [79] 75 Northampton 71. 50. 38. Orange (above 500) + 50 [43] 41 Northumbld. (700) [55] 90 which several officers so to be appointed shall immediately proceed to enlist the several quotas of men following, that is to say, every Captain shall enlist 28 men, every first Lieutent. 20, every sd. Lieutt. 16, & every ensign 10 & shall be at liberty to do the same as well within their respective counties as without. Officers fail- And if any officer shall fail to recruit his quota of ing to en- men before mentiond on or before the list quotas. day of next the Commee of the county by whom such officer was appointed may either appoint another in his stead, or may continue him if it shall appear to them that the quota of such officer may be sooner completed by his continuance. But if he or the officer appointed in his stead shall further fail to raise the sd quota before the day of next, then the commee of the county who appointed such officer shall make report of the whole matter to the Governor, who with the advice of the privy council shall take such measures thereon as shall seem most likely to expedite the raising the said quota, whether it be by continuing the same officer, or by making a new appointment; and wheresoever any new appointment shall be made on failure of any officer or officers to raise their quota, the men enlisted by such officer or officers so failing shall be delivered over to the officer appointed to succeed him, he refunding to the officer who enlisted the same such recruiting expenses as the committee shall judge reasonable. And be it further enacted, that to each of the sd six additional battalions I Colonel, one Lieutenant Colonel & one Major shall be appointed by joint ballot of both houses of assembly and one chaplain & one Surgeon by the field officers & captains of each battalion respectively, & that all Chaplains, & Surgeons as well of the sd six battalions as of the nine battalions now in Continental service shall at all times be removeable, and others appointed in their steads by the sd field officers & Captains of their respective battalions for good cause to them shewn and the Surgeon's Mates shall be appointed by the Surgeon himself with the approbation of the Commanding officer of the battalion & the Adjutant, Regimental Quarter Master, Sergt. Major, Quarter Master Sergeant & Drum Major by the said commanding officer of the battalion. How to be formed into & battalions. And be it further enacted that the Quotas of men raised by the officers to be appointed by the Commee of West Augusta shall be formed into distinct companies by the sd Commee which companies shall constitute one of the sd six additional battalions: & the Quotas raised by the companies officers to be appointed by any other Commees shall by the same Commee be formed into one or more companies or parts of a company according to the nature & number of the Quotas: & the said companies & parts of companies shall be formed into battalions of ten companies each by the governor or in his absence by the President who shall Allot to each battalion such of the field officers to be appointed by the two houses of assembly as he shall judge best suited to the same, and shall deliver to the Continental Commander in this Colony a roll of each battalion as soon as the same shall be so embodied and officered. And whereas it is apprehended that sufficient care and attention hath not been alwais had by officers to the cleanliness, to the health & to the comfort of the soldiers entrusted to their command be it therefore enacted that so long as any troops from this commonwealth shall be in any service to the Northward thereof it shall & may be lawful for our delegates in Congress & they are hereby required from time to time to enquire into the state & condition of the troops & the conduct of the officers commanding & where any troops raised in this commonwealth are upon duty within the same or any where to the Southward there the Gov! & Council are required to make similar enquiry by such ways or means as shall be in their power; & whensoever it shall be found that any officer appointed by this commonwealth shall have been guilty of negligence or want of fatherly care of the soldiers under his command they are hereby respectively required to report to this assembly the whole truth of the case who hereby reserve to themselves a power of removing such officer: |