1682

Penn, William, 1644-1718

Pamphlet

Title: William Penn's last farewell to England.

Title continues: "being an epistle containing a salutation to all faithful friends, a reproof to the unfaithful, and a visitation to the enquiring, in a solemn farewell to them all in the land of my nativity." Printed for Thomas Cook.

GLC01673

July 5, 1699

Penn, William, 1644-1718

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Joseph Pike

Penn writes about preparations for his last trip to America. Accompanied by a separate leaf signed "M. Jacob" stating that the letter is "to my great great great grandfather Joseph Pike." A merchant in Cork, Ireland, Pike was an old Quaker friend.

GLC01577

17 June 1782

Craig, Isaac, 1742-1826

Manuscript document signed

Title: [Return of Ordnance stores at Fort Pitt and Fort McIntosh]

Signed by I. Craig, Major of Artillery to Henry Knox, Brigadier General of Artillery. Lists stores of shells, powder, cartridges, muskets, rifles, swords, etc. Fort Pitt was the site of present day Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Fort McIntosh became the town of Beaver, Pennsylvania. Document is one long narrow sheet folded over many times. Dimensions are approximate.

GLC02437.10036

22 September 1782

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to George Washington

Written by Major General Knox to General Washington. Says he arrived at camp to find that 22 American women and children, formerly prisoners who had travelled from Canada, were seeking assistance. They travelled down from Vermont to Albany, New York. From Albany, Lord Stirling sent them southward with the idea that they could reach Philadelphia. Says "These unhappy people, were inhabitants of the frontiers of Virginia and Pennsylvania. Their husbands and fathers have been murdered by the Savages and themselves taken into captivity to Canada." Reports that after "horrors unutterable," they…

GLC02437.01624

13 November 1782

Bauman, Sebastian, 1739-1803

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Writes to inform Knox that despite his generous offer to bring his family to West Point, "I must again from urgent and impossible family reason beg leave of absence for the winter." Says that if it is not in Knox's power to grant his request, perhaps a few lines written to General George Washington would be able to help. Declares that he has children to look after, and is debilitated in health due to heavy military service, for which the country has not shown its gratitude. Adds that General Washington's suggestion that "two field officers should remain with a regiment" suggests that West…

GLC02437.01711

15 December 1781

Craig, Isaac, 1742-1826

Manuscript document

Title: [Return of ordnance stores at Fort Pitt and Fort McIntosh]

Lists stores of shells, powder, cartridges, muskets, rifles, swords, etc. Fort Pitt was the site of present day Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Fort McIntosh became the town of Beaver, Pennsylvania. Document is one long narrow sheet folded over many times. Dimensions are approximate. Addressed to William Irvine, Brigadier General.

GLC02437.10030

6 January 1782

Craig, Isaac, 1742-1826

Manuscript document signed

Title: [Return of Ordnance stores at Fort Pitt and Fort McIntosh]

Signed by I. Craig, Captain of Artillery to Henry Knox, Brigadier General of Artillery. Lists stores of shells, powder, cartridges, muskets, rifles, swords, etc. Fort Pitt was the site of present day Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Fort McIntosh became the town of Beaver, Pennsylvania. Document is one long narrow sheet folded over many times. Dimensions are approximate.

GLC02437.10032

17 April 1783

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Manuscript document

Title: [Suggestions to George Washington regarding maintenance and expansion of the United States military]

Knox offers his opinions regarding military matters and national security following the anticipated peace between the United States and Great Britain. Suggests maintaining a strong militia, noting "Every method should be devised to make the profession of arms honorable..." Recommends annual exhibitions of war to be attended by "first men of the community," stating that, "To an enlightened people arguments are unnecessary to enforce a truth so obvious. This is the moment to form habits which shall give a lustre to the American character." Advocates universal distribution of arms in America…

GLC02437.10107

January 18, 1781

Craig, Isaac, 1742-1826

Manuscript document signed

Title: [Return of Ordnance Stores at Fort Pitt and Fort McIntosh]

Signed by I. Craig, Captain of Artillery to Henry Knox, Brigadier General of Artillery. Lists stores of shells, powder, cartridges, muskets, rifles, swords, etc. Fort Pitt was the site of present day Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Fort McIntosh became the town of Beaver, Pennsylvania. Document is one long narrow sheet folded six times.

GLC02437.10018

7 July 1789

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Manuscript letter signed

Title: to George Washington

Written from the War Office. Provides an extensive analysis of the United States's relationship with the Creek Nation in the Ohio territories as well as Georgia. Also provides information on other nations, such as the Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Cherokee. The Indians were facing threats from white settlers encroaching on their land. Knox warns that the situation was growing critical, "Already the Cherokees have taken refuge from the evidence of the frontier people of North Carolina within the limits of the Creeks," Knox wrote. "[T]heir remote situation is their only present protection" and "…

GLC02437.04272

1787-1789

Manuscript document

Title: [Pay and supplies for army regiments from 1787-1789]

Lists and calculates pay, subsistence and forage costs for various periods between 1787 and 1789.

GLC02437.04066

23 October 1786

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter

Title: to George Washington

Writes that he hopes to be able to visit General Washington at Mount Vernon soon. Is convinced of the General's affection for him and feels sure that his limited correspondence will not be misconstrued; is aware that responding to too many letters can be difficult, and he has been traveling to and from Massachusetts on both public and private business, which has prevented him from writing. Argues that the political system currently in place is inadequate: "The powers of Congress are utterly inadequate to preserve the balance between the respective States, and oblige them to do those things…

GLC02437.03319

22 October 1786

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter

Title: to James Bowdoin

Writes that he will receive by this post the act of Congress authorizing an additional 700 troops in the Ohio frontier, where the troops there are suffering attacks from local Indians. Reports that Congress has called for the states to pay into the treasury by June of the following year, but that they need money more quickly than that if they want to support the troops already in service and augment the force as well. Hopes that the wealthier men in Boston will agree to help support the government and that they can work out a measure in which they will be "confident of security, and a speedy…

GLC02437.03315

23 August 1787

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter

Title: to Joseph Barrell

Hopes Barrell has a successful voyage to China. Asks Barrell to consign his vessel or vessels in Canton (Guangzhou) to Messrs [Samuel] Shaw and [Thomas] Randall. Writes, "one or the other of those adventurous Americans will be there - and more honestt and punctuality cannot be found in any two mortals..." See GLC02437.03652 for Barrell's reply. See GLC02437.03637, .03638, and.03647 for related documents.

GLC02437.03644

2 September 1787

Barrell, Joseph, 1739-1804

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Thanks Knox for his good wishes "respecting the Enterprize I am engaged in for the Northwest Coaste of America & China..." Knox had recommended Samuel Shaw to assist Barrell's venture in China (see GLC02437.03644). Stamped "Boston" on the address leaf. "Free" handwritten on address leaf with no signature. See GLC02437.03637, .03638, and .03647 for related documents.

GLC02437.03652

26 July 1784

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to George Washington

Responds to a 2 June 1784 letter from Washington. Discusses a recent Congressional order requiring Frederick Haldimand, Governor of the Province of Quebec, to give the United States information as to when British troops will completely evacuate Western forts, and how cannon and stores from the forts can be exchanged. Knox is incensed, writing "I cannot say but that I am well satisfied to be excluded from any responsibility in arrangements that cannot be executed. The attempt to employ militia for twelve months in an arduous operation of conveying the stores and making permanent…

GLC02437.03031

January 21, 1785

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter

Title: to George Washington [incomplete]

Comments on a recent trip Washington took to his western lands. Expresses relief that Washington did not travel as far west as he originally planned due to "the indians being in a bad temper." Referring to settlers on Washington's lands, writes "You must have been chagrined to have found your Lands possessed by a... people who hold in contempt equity- the first principle of Society." Discusses disunity among the states, writing, "We are entirely destitute of those traits which should Stamp us one nation- and the Constitution of Congress does not seem to promise any capital alteration for…

GLC02437.03087

22 November 1785

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Manuscript document

Title: to George Washington

Later copy. Duplicate of a portion of GLC02437.03220, a letter by Knox. Discusses the troops at Forts Pitt and McIntosh, as well as treaty negotiations with the Indians. Calculations in blue pencil on verso.

GLC02437.03219

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

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

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

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

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

7 October 1785

Carleton, Joseph, 1754-1812

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Written from "War Office." Discusses Mr. [possibly William] Duer's inability to find a man to provision Captain [likely John Francis] Hamtramck's company to the frontier. Suggests giving Hamtramck himself money to handle it, because Hamtramck appears to be responsible. Asks for Knox's response by Sunday's post. Listed as "Public Service" above address.

GLC02437.03207

May 20, 1785-December 31, 1785

Manuscript document

Title: [Account of pay for the American Regiment commanded by Colonel Harmar]

Ledger of pay for Colonel [Josiah] Harmar's regiment, from 20 May-31 December 1785. Also includes amounts paid to various officers in that regiment.

GLC02437.03229