15 April 1784

United States. Continental Congress.

Manuscript document signed

Title: [Congressional resolution approving the appointment of Major William North as inspector to the troops]

Signed by Joseph Carleton 23 April 1784. Carleton authorizes this as a true copy from the original remaining in the war office. Location inferred by based on the site of Congress.

GLC02437.02993

13 June 1784

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Joseph Carleton

Informs Carleton, acting Secretary at War, of the arrangements he has made in response to the Congressional resolve of 2 June 1784 ordering the reduction of Continental troops.

GLC02437.03017

2 July 1784

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Francois Marie, comte de Aboville

Reflects on his friendship with Aboville and relations between France and America: "... I wish those connections may be strongly cemented and that the two nations may remain in a perpetual alliance strengthened by all possible good offices." Discusses how public opinion has forced alterations in the Society of the Cincinnati. Introduces and recommends Mr. Tracy, the bearer of this letter. Knox addresses Aboville as "General."

GLC02437.03024

28 July 1784

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph document signed

Title: [Certificate of the service of Lieutenant Colonel Carrington]

Knox certifies that [Edward] Carrington sold cannon to defray expenses of transporting arms and stores to establish a magazine near Richmond, Virginia, for the Southern states. Written in Dorchester, a neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts.

GLC02437.03032

31 July 1784

Doughty, John, 1754-1826

Autograph document signed

Title: Monthly return of the corps of artillery

Lists numbers of officers present and fit for duty. Signed by Major Doughty.

GLC02437.03033

4 August 1784

Morris, Robert, 1734-1806

Manuscript letter

Title: to James Byers

Morris, Superintendent of Finance, discusses Byers's relinquishment of a contract with Congress to cast brass and ordnance (refer to GLC02437.03044). Writes, "I am sorry that your services have not been better rewarded, and lamented at the time that precipitancy with which you Relinquished your Contract and with it your Claims on the justice of the United States." Copied in the hand of James Byers (originally enclosed with GLC02437.03044). Signer of the U.S. Constitution.

GLC02437.03037

5 August 1784

Lillie, John, 1755-1801

Autograph document signed

Title: [Receipt of money paid to John Lillie]

Major Lillie signs on both pages, noting receipt of money from Henry Knox and Timothy Pickering.

GLC02437.03038

16 August 1784

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Joseph Carleton

Informs Carleton, acting Secretary at War, of the details of Major Job Sumner's difficulty in obtaining pay for his military service. Also discusses a letter from Frederick Haldimand, Governor of the Province of Quebec, recently transmitted to Congress by William Hull. Haldimand refused to inform Congress when British troops will be withdrawn from American posts on the northwestern frontier.

GLC02437.03040

25 August 1784

Byers, James, fl. 1767-1784

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Byers, who had a contract with Congress to cast brass ordnance during the Revolutionary War, complains of difficulty receiving pay for his services. Asks Knox to intervene on his behalf, requesting a certificate from Knox attesting to his service. Plans to send the certificate with a petition to Congress. Encloses a copy of the last letter he received from Robert Morris on the subject (GLC02437.03037).

GLC02437.03044

25 August 1784

Carleton, Joseph, 1754-1812

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Carleton, Secretary at War, writes from the War Office, possibly located in Annapolis, Maryland with Congress. Reports on the settlement of Major Job Sumner's case. Relates that troops from Connecticut, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania will be equipped as a result of the continued presence of British troops at forts on the northern frontier of the United States. Notes that New York will most likely raise its quota of troops "as soon as the Harvest is completed." "Free" stamped and "on public service" written on address leaf with no signature.

GLC02437.03045

9 October 1784

Doughty, John, 1754-1826

Manuscript document signed

Title: Monthly return of a corps of artillery commanded by Capt John Doughty

Lists officers present fit for duty, on command, sick present, and on duty. Title includes a note indicating that Doughty is a major by brevet.

GLC02437.03055

30 October 1784

Doughty, John, 1754-1826

Autograph document signed

Title: Monthly return of the corps of artillery in the service of the United States of America

Lists officers present fit for duty, sick present, absent with leave, on duty, and on command. Indicates that Doughty is a major by brevet. Location inferred.

GLC02437.03064

12 April 1785

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Captain Callahan

Discusses Callahan's obtainment of artificers, or craftsmen. Makes arrangements for Daniel Vose to pay Callahan in Knox's absence for the artificers' passage.

GLC02437.03125

25 April 1785

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to [Clement] Biddle

Replies to a letter from Biddle. Writes, "the news of your misfortunes deeply afflicted me..." Does not know precisely what business he will oversee as Secretary at War, but promises that if an opportunity arises, he will appoint Biddle to work in the War Office under his direction.

GLC02437.03131

14 May 1785

Brenton, S. Cooke, fl. 1785

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Relates that he was able to safely deliver a packet from Knox to Mrs. Greene (possibly Catharine Littlefield Greene, wife of Nathanael Greene). Sends his regards to Major Sargent, possibly Winthrop Sargent. Plans to travel to Martinico (Martinique), and asks Knox to bear in mind an unspecified consulship.

GLC02437.03145

25 May 1785

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Joseph Carleton

Knox, recently appointed Secretary at War, makes arrangements with Carleton, acting Secretary at War, to transmit pay and commissions to Major Wyllis (possibly John P. Wyllis) and his men.

GLC02437.03149

31 May 1785

Carleton, Joseph, 1754-1812

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Carleton, acting Secretary at War, writes to Knox, recently elected Secretary at War. Relates that John Dickinson, President of Pennsylvania, informed him that Pennsylvania's quota of troops cannot be raised until the meeting of the General Assembly on 25 August 1785. Also reports that Matthew Griswold, Governor of Connecticut, forwarded the names of officers appointed to command Connecticut troops. Further discusses raising and providing clothing for troops. In a postscript notes that "the Commissioners for Indian Affairs will not be ready to move to the Southward before the middle of…

GLC02437.03150

9 June 1785

Bryant, John, 1742-1816

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Captain Bryant, Deputy Commissary of Military Stores at the Springfield Armory, encloses a plan of the buildings belonging to the United States at the Springfield Armory. Discusses construction and repairs taking place there. See GLC02437.08362 for one of the enclosures, a cost estimate for building a brick wall for a magazine.

GLC02437.03152

12 June 1785

Carleton, Joseph, 1754-1812

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Carleton, previous acting Secretary at War, discusses military matters with Knox, recently appointed Secretary at War (Carleton is handling business from the War Office in Knox's absence). Discusses the pay and rank of several officers, the disbandment of troops at Fort Pitt, and the proposed reduction of artillery pay. Writes, "the recruiting business here goes on slowly - from this circumstance as well as some others, there is too much reason to apprehend that the time of holding the Southern Frontiers will be unavoidably procrastinated."

GLC02437.03154

June 27, 1785

Chastellux, François Jean, marquis de, 1734-1788

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

General Chastellux (signed Chastelleaux) requests that Knox admit a French doctor who served in the Revolutionary War to the Society of the Cincinnati. Writes, "... you remember very well dear general, that after the siege of york you left behind a great number of sicks and that an american hospital was settled at Williamsburg... no american physician attended there, and doctor coste only took care of those soldiers, for the whole winter." Notes that the Marquis de Lafayette supports Coste's acceptance into the Society. Also mentions that Coste saved Chastellux's life.

GLC02437.03160

1 July 1785

Avery, John, 1739-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Avery, Secretary of the State of Massachusetts, informs Knox that Governor Thomas Cushing has requested that several cannon at West Point be returned to Massachusetts.

GLC02437.03162

25 July 1785

Ashton, Joseph, fl. 1779-1785

Manuscript document

Title: [Return of military stores at Fort Pitt]

Marked as a copy. Includes the [copied?] signature of Joseph Ashton, Lieutenant of Artillery Commanding at Fort Pitt. Lists carriages, howitzers, carbines, rifles, horse shoes, and other stores.

GLC02437.03168

2 September 1785

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Manuscript letter signed

Title: to Broome & Platt

Written and signed for Knox in the hand of Samuel Shaw, Knox's former aide-de-camp. Writes that Mr. James Webber, who is a close friend of his brother William Knox and had taken care of William while in London, has enclosed to him a note from Broome and Platt drawn on "Warburton and Randall of London, who have become bankrupt." Needs to receive payment from them, so is sending his good friend Samuel Shaw to meet with them. Asks that they either provide payment with interest, or arrange with Shaw to pay it back in a short time. Writes that he does not like to be in this position,…

GLC02437.03181

6 September 1785

Broome & Platt (firm), fl. 1785

Manuscript document signed

Title: to Henry Knox

The firm of Broome & Platt certifies that it is in debt to Messrs. Webber Addington & Birhnall of London for approximately 600 pounds. Document arranges terms of repayment, including paying the equivalent amount in dry goods within a two-week period to General Knox, the ultimate beneficiary. (According to GLC02437.03181, Broome & Platt had made a payment to James Webber, who was apparently handling business for Henry Knox and his brother, William, during William's illness, but the note with which they paid was drawn on a firm that had gone bankrupt.)

GLC02437.03182

10 September 1785

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Broome & Platt

Discusses the details of his financial arrangements with the firm of Broome & Platt. Explains that he appreciates the candor with which they explained their financial distress to Samuel Shaw, Knox's representative at their meeting. Does have concerns about an arrangement they made regarding delivery of the goods they are using to pay Knox. Hopes they can make a better plan, in order to satisfy the other firm involved, Webber, Addington, & Birhnall. Adds that Mr. [James] Webber is a very honorable man, and explains how generous he was in caring for Knox's brother William during…

GLC02437.03191