Editing Continental Army (section)

===Commander-in-chief===
{{See also|Conway Cabal}}
{{Further|George Washington in the American Revolution}}
[[File: Portrait of George Washington-transparent.png|thumb|[[George Washington]], appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army on June 15, 1775, by the [[Second Continental Congress]]]]
On June 15, 1775, delegates to the [[Second Continental Congress]], convening in present-day [[Independence Hall]] in [[Philadelphia]], unanimously elected [[George Washington]] as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army. Washington accepted the position, and served throughout the [[American Revolutionary War]] without any compensation except for reimbursement of expenses.<ref name="Lengel" />  Washington, as commander-in-chief, was supported by a chief administrative officer, the [[List of Adjutants General of the United States Army|Adjutant General]]. [[Horatio Gates]] held the position (1775–1776), [[Joseph Reed (politician)|Joseph Reed]] (1776–1777), [[George Weedon]] and Isaac Budd Dunn (1777), [[Morgan Connor]] 1777, [[Timothy Pickering]] (1777–1778), [[Alexander Scammell]] (1778–1781), and [[Edward Hand]] (1781–1783).<ref>Lesser 1976, p. xiii.</ref> An [[History of the Office of the Inspector General of the United States Army|Inspector General]] assisted the Commander-in-Chief through periodically inspecting and reporting on the condition of troops. The first incumbent was [[Thomas Conway]] (1777–1778), followed by [[Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben|Baron von Steuben]] 1778–1784, under whom the position became that of a de facto chief of staff.<ref>Wright 1983, pp. 142, 144–145.</ref> The [[Judge Advocate General of the United States Army|Judge Advocate General]] assisted the commander-in-chief with the administration of [[military justice]], but he did not, as his modern counterpart, give legal advise. [[William Tudor]] was the first appointee.<ref>Bell 2012, pp. 154–157.</ref> He was followed by [[John Laurance]] in 1777 and [[Thomas Edwards (TJAG)|Thomas Edwards]] in 1781<ref name=Principal/> The Mustermaster General kept track by name of every officer and man serving in the army. The first mustermaster was [[Stephen Moylan]].<ref>Bell 2012, pp. 150–151.</ref> He was followed by [[Gunning Bedford Jr.]] 1776–1777 and Joseph Ward.<ref name=Principal>Wright 1983, p. 432.</ref>