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ADAMS, JOHN, President and Signer (Massachusetts). Letter signed ("John Adams") ALSO SIGNED BY ROGER SHERMAN (Connecticut), BENJAMIN HARRISON (Virginia), JAMES WILSON (Pennsylvania) & EDWARD RUTLEDGE (South Carolina), TO GENERAL ARTEMUS WARD of Massachusetts, the letter and the attached Resolution of Congress in the hand of delegate Richard Peters, marked "Circular," the Resolution signed at end by CHARLES THOMSON, Secretary of Congress; Philadelphia, 21 June 1776 (the Resolution dated "In Congress, June 12th, 1776"). 3 pages, folio, comprising the letter (one page) and the Resolution of Congress (1 1/2 pages), page 4 addressed to "Honble Gen. Ward," and with recipient's endorsements, edges untrimmed, the paper slightly yellowed with traces of old mount on page 4 showing through, but in otherwise good condition.
WHILE CONGRESS PREPARES TO VOTE FOR INDEPENDENCE, FIVE SIGNERS (ONE A FUTURE PRESIDENT) ANNOUNCE THE CREATION OF THE WAR OFFICE, "THE EARLIEST GERM OF AN EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT," AND ESTABLISHING CIVILIAN CONTROL OF AMERICA'S MILITARY
An official letter of Congress to notify Ward, the Commander of the Eastern Department of the Continental Army, of the establishment by the "United Colonies" of the Board of War and Ordnance, or War Office. This is, argueably, one of the most significant Acts of Congress prior to its momentous vote, eleven days later, for the resolution of independence. Besides constituting an embryonic form of the executive branch, this act crystallized in American government the essential principle that the army and navy were subject to the control of duly constituted civilian, elected authority, be it Congress acting through a Board or War designated by Congress, as at this time, or in the later form of a President holding executive power and vested as Commander-in-Chief, as specified in the Constitution, Article II, Section 2.
The letter tells Ward: "The Congress having thought proper to appoint us to the Board of War and Ordinance, we do ourselves the Honour to transmit you the foregoing Extracts [see below] from their Proceedings establishing a War Office for the more speedy & effectual dispatch of Military Business.
"You will perceive, on perusal of the Extracts, that it will be necessary for You forthwith to furnish the Board with and exact State of the Army under your Command and everything relative thereto. You will therefore be pleased, as speedily as possible, to give the necessary Directions, for true & accurate Returns to be made to you, so as to enable you to give the Board the proper Information.... It is expected that future Monthly Returns be regularly transmitted to the War Office that Congress may frequently have a full & general Knowledge of the true Situation of their Military Affairs without which it will be impossible to conduct them with Prosperity & Success. We must further request that you will keep up a constant & regular Correspondence with us that we may co-operate with you in such Measures as may tend to advance the Interest of America in general and the particular department committeed to your Care. You will be pleased in the Returns of the several Regiments to mention the Colonies in which they were raised, the Times when and the Periods for which the Men were enlisted, as it will be necessary for us to have sufficient Notice of these Matters that Congress may keep up the Army to its full Compliment...."
The official extract from the Journals of Congress, which accompanies the above letter (on pages 1 and 2) is carefully written in the clear, copperplate hand of Richard Peters, the Board's secretary, Under the bold heading: "In Congress June 12th: 1776" it sets out the complete text of Congress's resolution: "Resolved, That a Committee of Congress be appointed by the Name of "A Board of War and Ordinance" - to consist of five members...." It will compile and maintain "an accurate Register of...all Officers...of the Land Forces in the Service of the united Colonies, with their rank and the dates of their respective Commissions," as well as accounts of "state and dispositions of the Troops in the respective Colonies," and detailed tallies of all "the Artillery, Arms, Ammunition and Warlike Stores belonging to the United Colonies...and the places wherte the same shall from time to time be lodged." Furthermore, the Board is to oversee the "forwarding [of] all Despatches from Congress to the Colonies and Armies, and all Monies to be transmitted...by order of Congress." The Board is to "superintend the raising fitting out and dispatching [of] all such land forces as may be ordered for the Service of the United Colonies," and shall have "the care and direction of "all Prisoners of War," and shall "keep and preserve in the said Office in regular Order, all original Letters & Paperswhich shall come into the said Office by Order of Congress or otherwise...." At the end, the resolution specifies: "The Members chosen, Mr. J. Adams, Mr. Sherman, Mr. Harrison, Mr. Wilson and Mr. E. Rutledge"; it is recorded that "Richard Peters Esquire was elected Secretary of the Board of War and Ordinance."
WHILE CONGRESS PREPARES TO VOTE FOR INDEPENDENCE, FIVE SIGNERS (ONE A FUTURE PRESIDENT) ANNOUNCE THE CREATION OF THE WAR OFFICE, "THE EARLIEST GERM OF AN EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT," AND ESTABLISHING CIVILIAN CONTROL OF AMERICA'S MILITARY
An official letter of Congress to notify Ward, the Commander of the Eastern Department of the Continental Army, of the establishment by the "United Colonies" of the Board of War and Ordnance, or War Office. This is, argueably, one of the most significant Acts of Congress prior to its momentous vote, eleven days later, for the resolution of independence. Besides constituting an embryonic form of the executive branch, this act crystallized in American government the essential principle that the army and navy were subject to the control of duly constituted civilian, elected authority, be it Congress acting through a Board or War designated by Congress, as at this time, or in the later form of a President holding executive power and vested as Commander-in-Chief, as specified in the Constitution, Article II, Section 2.
The letter tells Ward: "The Congress having thought proper to appoint us to the Board of War and Ordinance, we do ourselves the Honour to transmit you the foregoing Extracts [see below] from their Proceedings establishing a War Office for the more speedy & effectual dispatch of Military Business.
"You will perceive, on perusal of the Extracts, that it will be necessary for You forthwith to furnish the Board with and exact State of the Army under your Command and everything relative thereto. You will therefore be pleased, as speedily as possible, to give the necessary Directions, for true & accurate Returns to be made to you, so as to enable you to give the Board the proper Information.... It is expected that future Monthly Returns be regularly transmitted to the War Office that Congress may frequently have a full & general Knowledge of the true Situation of their Military Affairs without which it will be impossible to conduct them with Prosperity & Success. We must further request that you will keep up a constant & regular Correspondence with us that we may co-operate with you in such Measures as may tend to advance the Interest of America in general and the particular department committeed to your Care. You will be pleased in the Returns of the several Regiments to mention the Colonies in which they were raised, the Times when and the Periods for which the Men were enlisted, as it will be necessary for us to have sufficient Notice of these Matters that Congress may keep up the Army to its full Compliment...."
The official extract from the Journals of Congress, which accompanies the above letter (on pages 1 and 2) is carefully written in the clear, copperplate hand of Richard Peters, the Board's secretary, Under the bold heading: "In Congress June 12th: 1776" it sets out the complete text of Congress's resolution: "Resolved, That a Committee of Congress be appointed by the Name of "A Board of War and Ordinance" - to consist of five members...." It will compile and maintain "an accurate Register of...all Officers...of the Land Forces in the Service of the united Colonies, with their rank and the dates of their respective Commissions," as well as accounts of "state and dispositions of the Troops in the respective Colonies," and detailed tallies of all "the Artillery, Arms, Ammunition and Warlike Stores belonging to the United Colonies...and the places wherte the same shall from time to time be lodged." Furthermore, the Board is to oversee the "forwarding [of] all Despatches from Congress to the Colonies and Armies, and all Monies to be transmitted...by order of Congress." The Board is to "superintend the raising fitting out and dispatching [of] all such land forces as may be ordered for the Service of the United Colonies," and shall have "the care and direction of "all Prisoners of War," and shall "keep and preserve in the said Office in regular Order, all original Letters & Paperswhich shall come into the said Office by Order of Congress or otherwise...." At the end, the resolution specifies: "The Members chosen, Mr. J. Adams, Mr. Sherman, Mr. Harrison, Mr. Wilson and Mr. E. Rutledge"; it is recorded that "Richard Peters Esquire was elected Secretary of the Board of War and Ordinance."