5. General Orders Regarding the Dissemination of Official Regulations

Washington, George. George Washington Papers, Series 3, Varick Transcripts, -1785, Subseries 3G, General Orders, -1783, Letterbook 1: July 3,- Sept. 30, 1776. July 17, 1775, 1775. Manuscript/Mixed Material. Library of Congress.

Brass writing case with inkwell and pen holders. Object ID 2005.0036.002. Courtesy of The Fort Ticonderoga Museum Collection.

Some soldiers facing court-martial pled ignorance of the regulation they had violated. To prevent this, Washington ordered his officers to read aloud every General Order to their assembled troops each evening.

"There is reason to apprehend, that the General orders are not regularly published, to the Non Commissioned Officers, & Soldiers of the army; as pleading Ignorance of Orders, will not for the future be admitted in excuse of any delinquency: It is once more ordered, that the Adjutants of the several Corps, will be exact, in seeing the Orders, read every evening to the Men off duty, of their respective Corps, as they may depend upon answering, before a Court Martial, for any neglect in obeying this order."

George Washington, General Orders, 17 July 1775

Sources

founders.archives.gov
https://history.army.mil/Publications/Publications-Catalog/The-Canadian-Campaign/

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