29 May 1779

Kingston, Robert M., ?-1794

Autograph document

Title: to Captain Ross

Written by Kingston as a staff officer to General John Burgoyne. Kingston wrote this somewhere in Britain, where he returned with Burgoyne in April 1778. Requests action on his "particular exchange" as a prisoner of war. Mentions that he could be exchanged for Lieutenant Colonel Bellinger or Colonel Hale. Kingston was only formally a prisoner. He returned to Britain and promised not to fight until exchanged.

GLC04764.77

29 June 1776

Hunt, J., fl. 1776

Autograph letter signed

Title: to unknown

Hunt is writing to an unknown recipient. Sends it to "My Dearest Friend." The index prepared for this collection suggests it could be to General John Burgoyne. It could also have been sent to Robert Kingston. It is impossible to tell. Year inferred from the "Sat. Even: June 29th." The only year in the 1770s to have a June 29th on a Saturday is 1776. Says he saw his sister and had hoped to see him. Tells him that his mother became ill and died. Hopes circumstances have permitted him to leave before this arrives. Says he will help out in whatever way he can.

GLC04764.78

1763-1783

Autograph document

Title: [Fragment of check]

Fragment of a check from what appears to be activity related to the Saratoga Campaign. Mentions "Please to Pay to" and then cuts off. Also mentions "Genl. Burgoyne" as well as somebody or something in Colonel Aldens Regiment. Partial tear down the middle, which appears to have been repaired previously.

GLC04764.79

1763-1783

Powell, Henry, 1733-1814

Autograph letter signed

Title: to John Burgoyne

Fragment of a letter written by Brigadier General Henry Watson Powell to General Burgoyne. Watson served under Burgoyne as commander of the 2nd Brigade during the Saratoga Campaign. This fragment is simply the closing of the letter. Says: "Carpenters, Masons;, Smiths, Oxen, Corvee Canadians[,]Carts & Horses with Harness compleat[.] Therefore The Ballance & Carts being destroyed will be of no great consequence." Signed by Powell.

GLC04764.80

December 12, 1777

Burgoyne, John, 1722-1792

Autograph note

Title: [Note on a missionary]

Index says the note is in General Burgoyne's hand. Initialed "JB" at the top. Says: "To be attended to: Joshua Wingate Weeks of Marblehead Missionary from the Society for propagat[ing] the gospel -" Weeks was a Royalist Anglican minister kicked out of Marblehead, Massachusetts for continuing to preach in the Anglican Church there. Date of creation inferred from the date of Weeks's ejection from Marblehead.

GLC04764.81

circa 1778

Geddes, David, fl. 1777-1778

Autograph document signed

Title: [Accounts during Saratoga Campaign according to David Geddes]

Created by Geddes as acting paymaster under British General John Burgoyne. This was written after the British defeat at Saratoga in October 1777. Document is divided into two sides, one side which marks expenditures by officers under Burgoyne and another that reconciles the expenses. Account goes from 15 June 1777 to 12 December 1777. Balance for expenditures by officers is slightly over 507 pounds. Combined with Burgoyne's own expenses of 330 pounds, the total balance is slightly over 837 pounds, "Errors Excepted."

GLC04764.82

circa October 1777

Broadside

Title: Burgoyne's Lamentation, At his surrender to the American army, under General Gates.

Nine stanza poem printed in Boston. Each stanza has eight lines and follows an "aabbccdd" pattern of rhyme. This broadside is the seventh edition. Date is estimated as around the end of the Battle of Saratoga in October 1777, but it could be later than that given this is the seventh edition. Told from the point of view of British General John Burgoyne while he is surrounded by American forces. Burgoyne sends his lamentations to the Greek goddess Diana in the poem. First stanza mentions that earlier American generals made Burgoyne overconfident of an easy victory. Poem goes into Burgoyne's…

GLC04764.83

1778

Spenser, Boyle, fl. 1756-1778

Document signed

Title: to His Excelency, Sir Guy Carleton

Written by Boyle as a Lieutenant in the 24th Regiment of Foot seeking a promotion to Carleton as commander of British forces in Canada. Boyle's regiment was part of the advanced corps of General John Burgoyne's army during the Saratoga Campaign, but it appears he did not fight at Saratoga because he says he applied to join Burgoyne's detachment but that the "request could not be complied with." Date of creation inferred from content of the document. Boyle says he joined the British Army in 1756 and that he has served for 22 years. Joined the army as an ensign in the 37th Regiment of Foot and…

GLC04764.84

17 July 1777

Stuart, Archibald, fl. 1759-1777

Autograph document signed

Title: to His Excelency, Sir Guy Carleton

This document is a memorial written by Lieutenant Archibald Stuart of the 62nd Regiment of Foot asking for official acceptance and a promotion to Carleton as commander of British forces in Canada. Says he was appointed a first lieutenant in 1759 in the 88th Regiment of Foot and was wounded in the leg during the Battle of Campen in 1760. He was subsequently taken prisoner by the French for six months. In 1763 he was put on half pay but upon an application to reenter service he was made a lieutenant in an invalid company, but that "Inactive life [was] not suitable to his Inclination." He was…

GLC04764.85

10 November 1777

Carter, Jonathan, fl. 1777

Autograph document signed

Title: [Petition against Articles of Convention]

Petition signed by 13 British officers and subalterns in the Royal Regiment of Artillery captured at the Battle of Saratoga in October 1777. Probably sent to General John Burgoyne. Claims the Americans have not followed through on the stipulations of the Articles of Convention, the document that delineated the terms of General John Burgoyne's surrender to the Americans. Claims they have not been quartered properly and that their conditions "Compell Us to Decline Our Assent to the Parole, 'till the Articles We think Incompatible with Our Situations in Life to Submitt to, are Alterd."

GLC04764.86

10 November 1777

Petrie, George, fl. 1777

Autograph document signed

Title: [Petition against Articles of Convention]

Petition from 17 officers of the 21st Regiment of Foot, known as North British Fusileers, to General John Burgoyne, protesting their conditions under the Articles of Convention, which delineated Burgoyne's terms of surrender after the Battle of Saratoga in October 1777. Name of creator was selected from the first legible signature at the bottom of the document. Says it is impossible for them to submit to the regulations laid before them because it is disgraceful. Says they cannot subscribe their names to their paroles because there would be no opportunity for redress afterward. Claims they…

GLC04764.87

circa 10 November 1777

Autograph document

Title: [Petition against Articles of Convention]

Petition of the Captains and subalterns of the 9th Regiment of Foot to General John Burgoyne. They are "object[ing] to give their parole," for their treatment under the Articles of Convention, which delineated the terms of Burgoyne's surrender at Saratoga in October 1777. Date estimated from other petitions in this decimalized collection, which are dated 10 November 1777. First complaint is on inadequate lodging and the other on the nightly curfew. No signatures are appended.

GLC04764.88

circa 10 November 1777

Autograph document

Title: [Petition against Articles of Convention]

Petition of the captains and subalterns of the 62nd Regiment of Foot, protesting the Articles of Convention to General John Burgoyne. Dated from other petitions in this collection which have a date of 10 November 1777. Says they cannot give their parole because of curfew restrictions and subpar housing. Claims "They feel themselves injured, that their Words of Honor are only to be trusted in Day light." Also claim their circumstances are "bordering upon close confinement." No signatures are appended.

GLC04764.89

14 October 1778

Kingston, Robert M., ?-1794

Autograph document

Title: Money paid by Lieutenant Colonel Kingston on Account of General Burgoyne

Account of General John Burgoyne's spending between September and December 1777. First page seems to be the final draft of the account. Mentions expenditures for cheese, horses, and for transporting the general's baggage. Kingston, one of Burgoyne's aids, paid out the money, which amounted to 60 pounds sterling. Kingston initialled the docket, which says a copy was left with a Mr. Collyer and that the account was reviewed on 18 December. Second separate page appears to be the first draft of this account. The draft accounts for a 21 pound sterling appropriation for a widow in the 62nd Regiment…

GLC04764.90

3 January 1778

Heath, William, 1737-1814

Autograph letter signed

Title: to John Burgoyne

This document references receiving a resolve from Congress of 19 December 1777. Quotes section of the resolve to Burgoyne about the need for the British commissary to either send provisions of equal amount that have been supplied or to liquidate accounts with gold or silver before any prisoners are released. The resolve "is prefaced upon Sir Will: Howe's requisition for provisions to be sent in for the Subsistance of the American prisoners in his possession." Thought it best to send this information to Burgoyne, so he can arrange to settle the accounts before embarking for England. Marked "…

GLC04764.91

4 April 1778

Phillips, William, 1731-1781

Autograph document signed

Title: Return of the Royal Artillery

Written in what appears to be a secretarial hand for Major General Phillips, who was to take over the Convention Army from Burgoyne after he embarked for England the next day, 5 April 1778. Includes a list of the number of men in each rank in the Royal Artillery in the Convention Army, from Captains to Rank & File. Also includes numbers for a detachment of Lieutenant Nutt's grenadiers and light companies from Canada. Includes lists of officers by name. Signed "W Phillips" at the bottom. Docket says that Lieutenant Colonel Robert Kingston, a staff officer under Burgoyne, is to send a…

GLC04764.92

10 April 1778

Geddes, David, fl. 1777-1778

Autograph document signed

Title: State of Cash Extraordinary Service

Account created by David Geddes, acting paymaster for the Convention Army. First part of account shows cash received from various people amounting to slightly over 61,890 pounds. Shows that the money was paid out by Burgoyne to settle accounts before he embarked for England. Also provides debit and credit accounts for "warrants granted," which amounted to slightly over 9295 pounds. These seem to be for soldiers pay and to settle miscellaneous drafts. Note before Geddes signature says "Errors Excepted." In previous correspondence with American General Heath, Burgoyne was asked to settle all…

GLC04764.93

1836-1844

Jackson, Andrew, 1767-1845

Header Record

Title: Item's related to Andrew Jackson's seventh annaul speech to Congress. [Decimalized .01-.02]

Jackson's seventh annual message to Congress and a note from his adopted son, Andrew Jackson Jr.

GLC04793

1844/05/09

Jackson, Andrew, Jr., 1808-1865

Autograph note signed

Title: to Andrew Jackson Donelson

A note stating that Andrew Jackson Senior requests Donelson's presence in the coming week.

GLC04793.02

15 May 1861

Peyton, William M., 1805-1868

Autograph letter signed

Title: to William Cabell Rives

Colonel Peyton discusses Virginia's recent secession from the Union, stating "I think Virginia would have acted more wisely ... if, with her prestige as the great head of the slave states, she had planted her foot upon the opening lid of this Pandora's box, and taken a position of armed neutrality." Outlines the events that provoked Virginia's secession. Discussing the Constitution of 1787, declares "It came to us baptized in the blood of the Revolution ... It goes from us besmeared, and begrimed, and defiled by immersion in the dirty pools of abolitionism ..." Referring to President…

GLC05021.01

after 15 May 1861

Printed document

Title: [Printed letter to William Cabell Rives discussing Virginia's secession]

Colonel Peyton discusses Virginia's recent secession from the Union, stating "I think Virginia would have acted more wisely ... if, with her prestige as the great head of the slave states, she had planted her foot upon the opening lid of this Pandora's box, and taken a position of armed neutrality." Outlines the events that provoked Virginia's secession. Discussing the Constitution of 1787, declares "It came to us baptized in the blood of the Revolution ... It goes from us besmeared, and begrimed, and defiled by immersion in the dirty pools of abolitionism ..." Referring to President…

GLC05021.02

January 12, 1864

Slidell, John, 1793-1871

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Chevalier L. Debray

Slidell introduces a Senator from California to Debray (possibly a representative of Emperor Ferdinand Maximilian) to discuss plans regarding the colonization of Sonora, Mexico.

GLC05342.01

30 November 1861

Print

Title: [Print of John Slidell]

Print of John Slidell, clipped from Harper's Weekly. The print was based on a photograph. The caption under the print states: "The captured rebel commissioner Slidell." Photographed by "Brady." The verso of the newspaper is part of "A Strange Story" by Edward Bulwer Lytton, which ran in Harper's Weekly.

GLC05342.02

circa 1863

Sketch

Title: [Sketch of ammunition]

Possibly created by Evelyn Kelsey, who completed an accompanying sketch aboard a steamer on the Mississippi River. Depicts ammunition, the chamber into which it is loaded, and a rod for proper loading. Contains a description of each item and a procedure for each object's use. Included with two other sketches, one which depicts the river near Vicksburg, Mississippi. Contains an incomplete address and ink blots on verso.

GLC05555.01

circa 1863

Kelsey, Evelyn, fl. 1863

Sketch

Title: [Sketch of the Mississippi River near Vicksburg]

Depicts the Mississippi River near Vicksburg. Illustrates the position of Vicksburg and several ships. Handwritten caption states "Our Union Mortar and gun boats below Vicksburg. Sketched by Evelyn Kelsey, while on board of one of the Mississippi steamers."

GLC05555.02