Manuscript Group 91, Guide to the First Continental Artillery Regiment Orderly Book 1780

Descriptive Summary
Historical Note
Scope and Content Note
Access Points
Related Material
Administrative Information

Container List

Guide to the First Continental Artillery Regiment Orderly Book
1780
MG 91

The New Jersey Historical Society
52 Park Place
Newark, New Jersey 07102
Contact: NJHS Library
Phone: (973) 596-8500 x249
Email: library@jerseyhistory.org
URL: https://www.jerseyhistory.org
© 2005 All rights reserved.
The New Jersey Historical Society, Publisher
Inventory prepared by Luis Delfino as part of the “Farm to City” project funded by a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.

Finding aid encoded by Julia Telonidis. November 2005. Production of the EAD 2002 version of this finding aid was made possible by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Finding aid written in English.

Descriptive Summary

Creator:	United States. Continental Army. Artillery Regiment, 1st.
Title:	Guide to the First Continental Artillery Regiment Orderly Book
Dates	1780
Abstract:	Kept chiefly by Sergeant Matthew Drury from January 3 to April 7, 1780 at winter encampment in Morristown or its vicinity. The records pertain to the unit commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Edward Carrington of Virginia under Major General Henry Knox.
Quantity:	0.3 linear feet
Collection Number:	MG 91

Historical Note

On December 1, 1779, the Continental Army under General George Washington encamped in Morristown, New Jersey. General Washington chose this area for its logistical, geographical and topographical military advantages, in addition to its proximity to New York City. The Army, after years of supply shortages, was just beginning to feel changes brought about by new Quartermaster General Nathanael Greene, but the overall conditions at the winter encampment in Morristown was perhaps the most brutal of the entire war. On June 22, 1780 the Army broke encampment and the following day, they defeated the British in the Battle of Springfield. The Continental Army continued to advance through eastern New Jersey toward the coast and New York City. The encampment for the following winter began in November 1780 in the Hudson Highlands. Lieutenant Colonel Edward Carrington (1749-1810) of Virginia under Major General Henry Knox (1750-1806) commanded the First Artillery.

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Scope and Content Note

This volume is an orderly book kept by Sergeant Matthew Drury for the First Artillery Regiment at the winter encampment in Morristown, New Jersey from January 3 to April 7, 1780. The second item in this collection is a typed transcript of the orderly book made in 1953.

An orderly book is usually used by the orderly sergeants or the aide de camp to enter general and regimental orders, and there is usually one for each company. Typical orders recorded regard troop formation, maintenance of camp, guard duty, and court martial proceedings. Most of the court martial proceedings were held for offenses such as theft, drunkenness, card playing, or ungentlemanly behavior. Of note is the March 26, 1780 entry that reports a court martial proceeding held in Philadelphia. “The Court Unanamously found Capt. Leut. (Theopheliss) Park Guilty not only of fraud but of Repeated Forgeress & Sentence him to be Casheared with Infamy, by having his Sword brock over his head On the Publick parade in frount of the Regt. To which he belongs by the Adjt. of said Regt.”

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Access Points

The entries below represent persons, organizations, topics, forms, and occupations documented in this collection.

Subject Names:

Carrington, Edward, 1749-1810.
Drury, Matthew.
Knox, Henry, 1750-1806.
Park, Theopheliss.

Subject Organizations.

United States. Continental Army.
United States. Continental Army. Artillery Regiment, 1st.

Subject Topics:

Command of troops.
Courts-martial and courts of inquiry–United States.
Military art and science–United States.
Military camps–New Jersey–Morristown.
Military offenses–United States.
Soldiers–United States.

Subject Places:

Morristown (N.J.)
New Jersey–History–Revolution, 1775-1783.
United States–History–Revolution, 1775-1783.

Document Types:

Orderly Books.
Transcripts.

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Related Material

Manuscript Group 222, Francis Barber (1750-1783), Officer, Orderly book
Manuscript Group 223, Continental Artillery Brigade Orderly book
Manuscript Group 224, 7th Rifle Regiment of the Pennsylvania Line / Patton’s Additional Regiment Orderly book.
Manuscript Group 225, Continental Army Artillery Regiment Orderly book
Manuscript Group 226, First New Jersey Continental Regiment Orderly book
Manuscript Group 227, Jersey Brigade Orderly book
Manuscript Group 228, Alexander Scammell (1747-1781), Adjutant General in the Continental Army, Orderly book
Manuscript Group 229, New Jersey State Troops Military Record book
Manuscript Group 230, Nathaniel Heard’s Brigade, New Jersey Militia Record book
Manuscript Group 233, Jabez Campfield (1737-1821), Military surgeon, Journal and Orderly book
Manuscript Group 257, Second Dragoon Regiment, Continental Army Orderly book

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

This collection should be cited as: Manuscript Group 91, Guide to the First Continental Artillery Regiment Orderly Book, The New Jersey Historical Society.