WMM Westford Colonial Minutemen


The Orderly Book of

Colonel John Robinson's Regiment of Massachusetts Militia
Camp at Cambridge, February & March, 1776


~  Pages 31-50  ~


The original manuscript document is contained in the collections of the

Huntington Library, San Marino, California and is referenced as HM596. 

The Huntington holds all copyrights to the manuscript document.

Transcribed by D.P. Lacroix, May/June 2003.



Orderly Book Guide




Head Quarters 9 March 1776…

Page 31

A Coppy of What Was Sent to each Capt ---

Sir I expect tomorrow morning at sunrise you will

not fail to parade all your men on the Common parade

except those that are really unfit for duty

Cambridge 9 March 1776.    John Robinson Colo

______________________________________________

Head Quarters 10th March 1776…

Head Quarters 11 March 1776…

Page 32

Head Quarters 11 March 1776 (cont.)…

Page 33

Head Quarters 12 March 1776…


Head Quarters 13 March 1776…


Page 34

Head Quarters 13 March 1776 (cont.)…

______________________________________________


Camp Cambridge 14th [March] 1776

   Regimental Orders ~

The Col.o is not well pleased to find that when he has

five drummers in his Regiment that only one of them

appeared to man the Lines yesterday morning; he

being informed that they assist other Regiments in their

duty; when at the same time they are negligent in their

own; he therefore Orders that no drummer or fifer absents

him self from Camp or out of Drum Call without order or

Leave from his Brigadier General.  The Col.o Also is very

sorry to find that the soldiers in his Regiment pay to

little attention to his orders in Regard to Leaving the

Camp with out Licence.  he therefore Repeatedly orders

that if any officer or Soldier for the futer Shall be known

thus to Offend may depend on being punishd as a genl Court

Martial shall Inflict upon them ~   ~   ~

Page 35

Head Quarters 14 March 1776…


Page 36

Head Quarters 15 March 1776…


Page 37

Head Quarters 17 March 1776…


Head Quarters 18 March 1776…


Head Quarters 19 March 1776…

Page 38

Head Quarters 20 March 1776…


Head Quarters 21 March 1776…


Page 39

Head Quarters 22 March 1776…


Head Quarters 23 March 1776…

Page 40

Head Quarters 23 March 1776 (cont.)…


[Excerpt from the General Orders containing reference to Robinson’s Regiment:

Col. Knox will immediately lay out a Battery upon

Charlestown point, to be executed under the direction of

Lieut. Col.o Mason of the Artillery – A Field Officer with

all the men Off duty, of Col.o Robinsons Regiment

to march at sunrise tomorrow morning to Charlestown

Point as a working party -------  -------   -------  ------- ]


Head Quarters 24 March 1776…

Page 41

Head Quarters 24 March 1776 (cont.)…

   To Leiut Howard Officer of the Qr guard ~

Sir, I expect you will keep two Centries by night & one

by day & order the Centries by night that in case of an Alarm

or fire or fireing immediately to notify me.. & when you

are relieved to make report of your guard to the Commanding

officer of the Regiment

Cambridge March ye 24th 1776  John Robinson Colo

                           A trew Copy - Josiah Fletcher ---

               these orders to be handed to the relieving officer successively

                   until Countermanded ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Head Quarters 25 March 1776…


Head Quarters 26 March 1776…

Page 42

Head Quarters 27 March 1776…

[Excerpt from the General Orders containing reference to Robinson’s Regiment:

… Upon an alarm Read’s Nixons & Poores Regiments

are to repair to Bunker Hill.. Varnums & Hitchcocks to

man the fort upon Prospect Hill.  Littles to repair to

Cobble Hill.. Arnolds & Robinsons to Leachmere point…]


Page 43

Head Quarters 28 March 1776…


Head Quarters 29 March 1776…


Head Quarters 30 March 1776…

Page 44

  Regimental Orders  30 March 1776

As the time of this Regiments Ingagement draws to a Close

The Colonel desires that every precaution may be Eused by

the Officers & Soldiers in his Regiment to prevent the

Scandel they may Bring upon them selves in the

Contrary behaviour.. The Col.o has been Informed that some have

thretned to desert their Posts before they are Orderly dismissed

and that they Intend to burn their Barrucks when they leave

them.  The Colonel therefore strictly Orders every Captain &

Commissioned Officer to see that no such disorder may be seen

in their Respective Companies.  Consequently if any other

Officer or Soldier in his Reg.t shall presume to leave his post

without being Regularly dismissed may depend on Suffering

for the same.. & that the Captains in his Regiment be

Particularly Carfull to see that the Barrucks improved by

them and their Respective Companies are not damaged

in any Respect and also to see that all their fires are put out

when they leave them & that the Barracks are left Clear

and Clean from straw. for if any damage Comes upon

the Barrucks the Captains belonging to them may

depend on making them good.

Page 45

Head Quarters 31 March 1776…


             
finis ~  ~  ~   ~   ~   ~


Page 46

 [This single page appears to significantly post date the rest of the Orderly Book.]


   July 9th 1777

               this Day Recd of John Robinson Twenty Shillings in full for

five Days Service in his Regiment before I Marchd I say Recd by me

                                                               [signed] Jo. Thaxter  Chapn

July 19th 1777

               This Day Rec.d of John Robinson Thirty three Shillings and

   four pence to be Delivered to Col.o Saml McCob ~

[McCob served briefly as the regiment’s major]


Page 47

[Blank]


Page 48

   Cambridge April the 3, 1776

We the subscribers have received of Col.o John

Robinson the full Pay for our respective Companies

for the Months of Feb. & March in the Continental

Service

    

                           12.96 ½  Dollars            [signed]  John Lamont  Capt.

                           10.80 3/6 Dollars           [signed]  Josiah Warren  Capt.

                           12.14D 2/9 shd             [signed]  Asahel Wheeler  Capt.

                           12.35 4/6                     [signed]  Benjamin Edgel  Capt.

                           12.83 Dol---                [signed]  Simon Edgel  Capt.

                           12.86 Doll                    [signed]  Job Shattuck  Capt.

                           14.02  49                     [signed]  John Ford  Capt.



Cambridge  April 3  1776

We the subscribers have received of Col. John Robinson the

full of our Pay for the Months of Feb. & March in the Continental

Service

                           40 Dollars                         [signed] Joseph Thaxter Chapn

                           37 Dollars 5/8                   [signed] Jabez Brown adjt

                           19 Dollars 3/6                   [signed] Nathan Stow Q.M.

                           77 Dollars 4/5                   [signed] John Buttrick  Lieut Colo

                           26 Dollars 56                    [signed] William Little  Surgens M

                           49 Dollars & 4 pence         [signed] Asaph Fletcher Surgeon

Recd of Adjutant Brown 4 ½ dollars for Capt Ford.

Page 49

1 Horn Wanting in Cap.t Warrings [Warren’s] Company

[The following, dated in Westford after the close of the regiment’s service, is a pay receipt for men from Westford who served in the regiment.  It is the only pay receipt for enlisted men in the entire orderly book.  See the Appendix for further biographical information about these Westford men]


  Westford April ye 5th 1776

We the subscribers have each of us Rec.d of Col.o John Robinson

the full Pay due to us from the Contenant for our service

the month of February & march last in the Continental Army

We say Rec.d by us                     [signed]  Thomas Rogers Sergt

                                                   [signed]  William Nichols

                                                   [signed]  Charles Procter

                                                   [signed]  John Parker

                                                   [signed]  John Parker in the behalf of David Parker

                                                   [signed]  Aaron Parker

                                                   [signed]  Silas Procter Leut

                                                   [signed]  William Dutton

                                                   [signed]  Daniel Dudley Jun

                                                   [signed]  Joseph Dutton

                                                   [signed]  Nathaniel Chamberlin

                                                   [signed]  Nathan Cooper[?]

                                                   [signed]  Benjamin Robbins

                                                   [signed]  Soloman Spaulding Corp

                                                   [signed]  Isaac Procter[?]

                                                   [signed]  Simeon Senter

                                                   [signed]  David Danforth        

Page 50

  A Furlough Register

Feby 18th  Jonathan Edmonds On Furlough 4 days in Capt Simon Edgel Comp

April 4 - 1776 Concord

[End of the Orderly Book]



Continue to the Appendices

 
Last Updated 21 May, 2004
Page added 21 May, 2004

[Home] [Site Index] [History] [Today's Minutemen] [Col. John Robinson Trail] [Schedule] [Pictures] [Links & Resources