February 1, 1777

Hancock, John, 1737-1793

Letter signed

Title: to William Smallwood

Hancock sends resolutions by the Continental Congress (not included) relating to measures to suppress a Tory insurrection in Somerset and Worcester counties in Maryland. He orders General Smallwood to stand ready to execute the forthcoming orders. Letter signed by Hancock as President of the Continental Congress.

GLC01205.01

February 25, 1777

Peters, Richard, 1744-1828

Autograph letter signed

Title: to William Smallwood

Letter written by Peters as secretary to the Continental Board of War to Brigadier General Smallwood. Says that he is sending a circular letter written by the Board with an enclosed resolve from Congress (the resolve is not included, but the circular letter is on verso). He requests his assistance as the matter is pressing. Says letters have been sent to Colonels Gist and Richardson as a matter of course and are not meant to countermand any orders he may have given them in regard to the Tory expedition. Congress wants to keep its previous promise to assist Maryland with the insurgents, but…

GLC01205.03

February 13, 1776

Washington, George, 1732-1799

Letter signed

Title: to Thomas Mumford, Groton

Docketed. Containing the comment that gunpowder "will be of the utmost service to the cause of Liberty & America." Free franked "On the service of the United Colonies" (probably not George Washington's hand), but not signed.

GLC01117

January 21, 1776

Washington, George, 1732-1799

Letter signed

Title: to Jonathan Trumbull

Written by Washington as commander of the American army around Boston to Trumbull as Governor of Connecticut. Trumbull was the only colonial governor to join the patriot cause. References his hasty dispatch of January 19, 1776. Says he forgot to inform Trumbull that he will give troops heading north to Canada a month's pay in advance, on behalf of Congress. Trumbull had previously offered to send a regiment of Connecticut troops to Canada and Washington suggests they also be advanced a month's pay, to help them make the arduous journey, provide for families being left behind, and to avoid…

GLC01138

February 7, 1777

Heath, William, 1737-1814

Autograph letter signed

Title: to David Wooster

Written by Heath as Major General in the Continental Army to Major General Wooster. He orders a grand forage for the next morning. Mentions complaints about vandalism of local houses by soldiers and asks Wooster to look into it. Requests that soldiers be prohibited from traveling to New York City without the consent of the Committee of Convention. Adds that the Detachment of Artillery will soon be inactive and he would like General Treadwell and the other detachments to come to Kingstreet so that they may all be together. Heath was soon to be censured by Washington and would be given commands…

GLC01139

January 17, 1779

Howe, Robert, 1732-1786

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Benjamin Lincoln

Written by Howe as a Major General to Major General Lincoln as commander of the Southern Department. Lincoln had replaced Howe as department commander in September 1778. Says he is desirous of beginning a correspondence. He hopes any information he sends along is important enough to merit Lincoln's attention. Says he saw Brigadier General John Ashe and that he marches tomorrow. Says he strove to assist him and he hopes he has succeeded. Says Ashe has 1500 men and that he [Howe] has struggled to obtain 1000 "stand" (possibly guns), although they are not in possession of all of them yet. Says…

GLC01140

July 1776 - December 9,1777

Tilden, Ezra, 1751-1819

Diary

Title: [Diary of Ezra Tilden]

Provides a detailed day by day account of Tilden's march through New York during the Revolutionary War. Writes extensively about daily duties, poor rations, hunger, hardships along the march, sickness and death amongst the soldiers, and the demoralized spirit of the men. Possibly writes something about the cruelty of the officers in code on p. 34 by mixing the letters of the words. Includes lists of towns he passed through (p. 12, 49, 107, 141), an item by item list of contents of his pack (p. 9), a list of the monthly wages for each military rank (p. 54), rations for each soldier (p. 55…

GLC01450.004

April 7, 1778

Heath, William, 1737-1814

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Ebenezer Hancock

Letter countersigned by Seth Loring, Secretary. Heath writes to the Deputy Paymaster General of the Forces of the United States of America requesting payment of $200 for Captain Benjamin Wallcott of Colonel Thomas Marshall's Regiment for five months of pay beginning 6 July 1777. Letter accompanied by a certificate dated March 27, 1778 written by Marshall to Heath certifying that Wallcott was in his regiment since July 6, 1777. The two documents are attached by a wax seal. Heath was a major general in the Continental Army.

GLC01450.005.03

19 March 1777

Hancock, John, 1737-1793

Document signed

Title: [Promotion of George Clark to Second Lieutenant of a Company of foot in the seventh Pennsylvania regiment].

Countersigned by Secretary of Congress Charles Thomson. Official document promoting Clark. Partially printed, with blanks filled in by hand. Hancock signed as President of the Continental Congress.

GLC01253

March 1, 1781

Schuyler, Philip John, 1733-1804

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Glen

Schuyler, then a major general in the Continental Army, reports to Glen, an agent for Indian affairs, complaints from Indians that they cannot mend their axes for want of iron and that "their women are almost naked and Incapable to fetch a sufficiency of wood for their own use." He seeks assistance for them, stating that "they highly deserve every aid we can give them."

GLC01406

24 August 1775

Warren, Mercy Otis, 1728-1814

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Catharine Macaulay

Refers to the present dangerous affairs due to British barbarity. Alludes to "the Bravery of the peasants of Lexington." Describes the investment of a colonial army led by Washington and the beginnings of a representative government in Massachusetts.

GLC01800.02

17 November 1779

Washington, George, 1732-1799

Letter signed

Title: to John Sullivan

Informs Sullivan that Greene has prepared winter quarters for those of his men commanded by Clinton and Hand. Written in McHenry's hand. Written from "Head Quarters."

GLC01830

23 April 1779

Glover, John, 1732-1797

Document signed

Title: [March 1779 payroll for Captain Joseph Hodgkins's Company]

General Glover signs at Providence, attesting that this document was sworn before him 23 April (on verso). Lieutenant Michal Houdin also signs on verso, attesting to the validity of this pay roll. Lists officer names, rank, length of service, and amount of pay. States that Hodgkins's Company was part of a regiment commanded by Colonel Timothy Bigelow.

GLC01828

10 October 1778

Gaylord, Moses, Mrs., fl. 1778

Autograph letter signed

Title: Mrs. Moses Gaylord

Connecticut Revolutionary War soldier's letter to his wife in West Hartford. Mentions that there is not much news. Says a flag of truce was flown after a packet of materials came in from Congress. Suspects that it involves the exchange of 500 French troops in New London. Describes the fortifications at Fort Griswold and Fort Trumbull. Says he saw several privateers and captured ships in the harbor. Says they will fire their cannons from the forts on 17 October in remembrance of Burgoyne's surrender on 17 October 1777.

GLC02023

8 August 1807

Jefferson, Thomas, 1743-1826

Document signed

Title: [Land grant for Toppan Webster].

Countersigned by Secretary of State James Madison. Grants 100 acres to Webster, an assignee of Samuel Jess, on the basis of the act of Congress appropriating land for former soldiers and for the society of the United Brethren. The act had been approved by the fourth Congress in June 1796. Signed as President of the United States.

GLC02010

January 24, 1780

Washington, George, 1732-1799

Manuscript letter signed

Title: to James Clinton

Apologizes for not being able to extend Clinton's furlough any longer. There is a shortage of officers, so Clinton must return as soon as possible. Possibly written in the hand of Tench Tilghman, Washington's aide-de-camp.

GLC02336

circa 1777-1781

Hamilton, Alexander, 1757-1804

Autograph document signed

Title: [Order to a Deputy Commissary General of Purchases] [incomplete]

Orders to agree to a requisition. This is a fragment of a larger document, so the identity of the deputy commissary general is unknown. Signed A. Hamilton, A. D. C.

GLC02307

23 March 1798

Monroe, James, 1758-1831

Autograph letter signed

Title: to John Breckinridge

Writes to Breckinridge, a former neighbor of Monroe in Albemarle County, Virginia who moved to Kentucky in 1793. Was a member of Kentucky House of Representatives when he received this letter. Monroe had recently returned from France, burdened with debts and writes that he wants to sell his Revolutionary War land bonus in Kentucky. Writes of problems with the sale. Says he is returning to practice of law in Richmond. He mentions early news of XYZ affair from Pinckney, Gerry and Marshall in Paris and rumors of Napoleon invading England.

GLC02323

5 August 1776

Trumbull, Jonathan, Sr., 1710-1785

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Committee of Pay Table

Orders the committee to provide Chauncey Whittlesey with 1,000 pounds to purchase tents and supplies for the Continental Army. A document signed by Whittlesey on the verso, in Oliver Ellsworth's hand, is dated 6 August 1776; it indicates that he received the money.

GLC02335

26 August 1776

Hancock, John, 1737-1793

Document signed

Title: Commission of Thomas Noyes.

Assigns Noyes as Lieutenant of the Eleventh Company in the Second Regiment of the Brigade raised by the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. Signed by Hancock as President of Congress and countersigned by Charles Thomson as Secretary.

GLC02150.01

9 December 1863

Hamilton, P., fl. 1863

Autograph manuscript signed

Title: to William Edwin Baldwin

Hamilton, aide-de-camp to General Baldwin, relates information pertaining to "roads leading from this point, Resaca, to the Etowah river, also to examine the conditions and crossing of different kinds over that stream." Lists distances between various adjacent points, and cites road conditions. Relates that there are four bridges and one ferry over the Etowah river between Kingston and Cartersville. Reports "The information concerning the roads, crossings, conditions & c was obtained from personal inspection. The names of the different roads, their distance, the streams & their…

GLC02395

5 March 1777

Root, Jesse, 1737-1822

Printed document signed

Title: [Monetary obligation related to raising a Continental battalion]

Partly printed document also signed by Ez[echial?] Williams, Elizer Warner and Samuel Barker. Concerns the financial arrangement for Samuel Barker and Elizer Warner to raise (and Warner to serve as Captain of) a Continental battalion for Connecticut during the American Revolution.

GLC02427

1750-1820

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Header Record

Title: Henry Knox papers, including retained and received correspondence, &c. [Decimalized .00001 - .10737]

Letters and documents, written to or by Knox, who served as chief of Artillery during the Revolution, and then as Secretary of War under the Articles of Confederation and in President Washington's first administration. The collection includes Knox's voluminous correspondence with luminaries like Washington, Jefferson, Lafayette, Benjamin Lincoln, Nathanael Greene, John and John Q. Adams, Hancock and Paine. It also includes his business and wartime correspondence, and the charming and affectionate letters between Knox and his wife, Lucy Flucker Knox. Much interesting business and personal…

GLC02437

1 January 1776

Hancock, John, 1737-1793

Printed document signed

Title: [Commission for William Burbeck as First Lieutenant Colonel]

Partially-printed document signed. Countersigned by Charles Thomson, Secretary of the Continental Congress. Burbeck is commissioned to serve in the artillery regiment commanded by Henry Knox.

GLC02437.10001

17 March 1782

Irvine, William, 1741-1804

Autograph letter signed

Title: to William Moore

Written by Irvine as Brigadier General to Moore as President of Pennsylvania. He is concerned with British deserters and prisoners enlisting into the Continental Army despite the vigilance of recruiting officers. Since there is no defined punishment for these offenders in Military Law, Irvine suggests that they be tried for perjury and put in prison. Says this is only his opinion and gives the suggestion to Moon to consider. Gives example of Gavin Miller, a British prisoner who enlisted under false pretenses and who is now imprisoned in Carlisle. The commanding officer there is awaiting Moore…

GLC02206