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In June 1775, Congress created the position of [[Quartermaster General of the United States Army|Quartermaster General]], after the British example. He was charged with opening and maintaining the lines of advance and retreat, laying out camps and assigning quarters. His responsibilities included furnishing the army with materiel and supplies, although the supply of arms, clothing, and provisions fell under other departments. The transportation of all supplies, even those provided by other departments, came under his ambit. The Quartermaster General served with the Main Army under General Washington, but was directly responsible to Congress. Deputy quartermasters were appointed by Congress to serve with separate armies, and functioned independently of the Quartermaster General. [[Thomas Mifflin]] served as Quartermaster General 1775–1776 and 1776–1778, [[Stephen Moylan]] 1776, [[Nathanael Green]] 1778–1780, and [[Timothy Pickering]] from 1780.<ref>Anonymous 1975, pp. 28–31.</ref>
Congress also created the position of [[Commissary general|Commissary General of Stores and Provisions]] directly responsible to Congress, with [[Joseph Trumbull (commissary general)|Joseph Trumbull]] as the first incumbent. In 1777, Congress divided the department into two, a Commissary General of Purchases, with four deputies, and a Commissary General of Issues, with three deputies. William Buchanan was head of the Purchase Department 1777–1778, [[Jeremiah Wadsworth]] 1778–1779, and [[Ephraim Blaine]] 1779–1781. In 1780, the department became subordinated to the [[Superintendent of Finance of the United States|Superintendent of Finance]], although Blaine retained his position. [[Charles Stewart (New Jersey politician)|Charles Stewart]] served as Commissary General of Issues 1777–1782.<ref>Anonymous 1975, pp. 31–32.</ref>
The responsibility for procuring arms and ammunition at first rested with various committees of Congress. In 1775 a field organization, usually known as the Military Branch of the Commissariat of Military Stores, was made responsible for distribution and care of [[Materiel|ordnance]] in the field. In 1777 Congress established a Commissary General of Military Stores. Known as the Civil Branch, this organization was responsible for handling [[arsenal]]s, [[Materiel|laboratories]], and some [[procurement]] under the general supervision of the Board of War. Later in the war a Surveyor of Ordnance was made responsible for inspecting [[foundry|foundries]], [[Gunpowder magazine|magazines]], ordnance shops, and field ordnance. In July 1777 the Board of War was authorized to purchase artillery.<ref>Anonymous 1975a, pp. 25–27.</ref>
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