11 August 1777

Adams, Samuel, 1722-1803

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Roger Sherman

Written by Adams as a Contiental Congressman from Massachusetts to Sherman as a Contiental Congressman from Connecticut. References Sherman's letter of 11 July 1777. Says Sherman's rumor has turned into a fact as Fort Ticonderoga has fallen "shamefully." Adams castigates Schuyler for not properly defending the fort and for having no confidence in his troops. Adams is especially outraged by the general's report "a very great part of the army naked -- without blankets -- ill armed." Says General Horatio Gates has taken command of the North and says "I trust our Affairs in that Quarter will…

GLC04757

1777

United States. Continental Congress.

Book

Title: Articles of Confederation [first printing, first edition]

Printed by Francis Bailey. Quarto. This is the rare printing done at Lancaster with illegible signature of owner from 1777 on titlepage. Evans 15619, Sabin 2142. Ex-Huntington. [Boston edition, GLC 268]

GLC04759

30 November 1783

Cruger, Henry, 1739-1827

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Peter van Schaack

Reports American occupation of New York City. Decribes the conditions and mixed sentiments in the city after the British evacuation. Feels that the peaceable citizens are a result of the successful leadership of Governor George Clinton, who is second only to George Washington. Assures van Schaack that the government has a plan and it will lead New York and the United States to greatness.

GLC04776

October 19, 1873

Grant, Ulysses S. (Ulysses Simpson), 1822-1885

Autograph letter signed

Title: to John E. Williams re: solving banking crisis, Panic of 1873

Grant writes in part: "Cannot the bank presidents be brought together & resolve to aid each other?"

GLC04784

27 October 1777

Harrison, Robert H., 1745-1790

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Major Clarke

Written by Harrison as secretary to George Washington to Clarke, whose larger identity is unknown. Says the five extra dollars will be charged. Claims there are no hand bills or he would have sent him one. Reports that the articles of capitulation got to Washington yesterday. Says Burgoyne and his army of 5,600 are prisoners and that Colonel James Wilkinson is on his way to Congress with General Horatio Gates's official report. Wilkinson caused a mini-scandal by not showing up in York, Pennsylvania, where Congress was meeting, until 31 October 1777 and did not present a written report until 3…

GLC04786

5 November 1777

Laurens, Henry, 1724-1792

Autograph letter signed

Title: to George Washington

Written by Laurens as president of the Continental Congress; signed once and initialed twice by Laurens. Retained copy encloses extracts of Congress and a postscript reporting the passing of those resolutions. The extracts concern recovery and protection of the Hudson (North) River. Draft of letter to Richard Caswell on verso regarding the appropriation of funds for a memorial for Brigadier General Nash, who died at Germantown.

GLC04803

23 March 1778

Lee, Francis Lightfoot, 1734-1797

Manuscript letter signed

Title: to Patrick Henry

Co-signed by Banister and free franked in his name. Requests that Congress send new troops to camp without delay. Warns that the Continental army is weak and that it is likely the British will attempt an attack before reinforcements come. Also urgently requests supplies. Writes that he has heard that the British troops in Rhode Island have set out to join General William Howe. States that if this is true, " ... the Enemy will open the Campaign with great advantage over us." Post script advises that General George Washington has been notified by General William Smallwood that a fleet of…

GLC04807

28 May 1776

Lee, Richard Henry, 1732-1794

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Thomas Ludwell Lee

Written by Richard Henry Lee as Continental Congressman from Virginia to his brother Thomas Lee. Says he is busy because he has a committee meeting with Generals Washington, Gates, and Mifflin on "the operations of their Campaign." Says he cannot write to many of his friends at this time and asks to be remembered to Colonel Mason. Mentions that Colonel Nelson has not arrived yet. Says he will leave for home in a day or two, rest up, and then attend the Convention at Williamsburg. Says "the sensible and spirited resolve of my Countrymen on the 15th has gladdened the heart of every friend to…

GLC04809

27 November 1775

Sayer, Robert, 1725-1794

Map

Title: A Plan of the Battle on Bunkers Hill fought on the 17th of June 1775.

This document is a printed map of the Battle of Bunker Hill, designating the positions of American and British forces. Printed by R. Sayer and J. Bennet. Underneath the map is a written description of the Battle taken from a letter written by General Burgoyne to his nephew Lord Stanley.

GLC04760.01

11 September 1777

Burgoyne, John, 1722-1792

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Friedrich Riedesel [in French]

Written by British General Burgoyne as he is marching southward through New York to General Baron Riedesel commander of the German troops with Burgoyne. Letter is in French with partial translation in seller's description in collateral file. Updates Riedesel on various troops' movements and the arrival of transports to cross the Hudson River before the Battle of Saratoga. Advises there might be a strong detachment at Skeneborough. Also included in the file is a color print titled "Genl. Burgoyne Addressing the Indians." Dimensions are 15.7 x 24.1 cm. Depicts a red coated Burgoyne with arm…

GLC04761

22 March 1778

Burgoyne, John, 1722-1792

Autograph letter signed

Title: to William Heath

Written by General Burgoyne as a prisoner of war after his defeat at Saratoga in October 1777 to Heath as commander of the Convention Army, which consisted of the British prisoners of war previously commanded by Burgoyne. Says he is obliged by Heath's handling of his last dispatch and regrets the loss of any of Heath's men because of it. Asks for duplicates of Captain Dalrymple's parole to secure the transports and money he is arranging, presumably for Burgoyne's return to Britain, which took place on 5 April 1778. Postscript says Mr. Clarke has not heard from Heath's commissary yet. Letter…

GLC04762

30 August 1778

Burgoyne, John, 1722-1792

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Robert Kingston

Written by General Burgoyne in England as a parolee after Battle of Saratoga to Kingston as Burgoyne's Adjutant General. Mentions that he received information that the government might use intelligence from Boston as grounds to return him to America as a prisoner of war. Says if it comes to that, he will not obey the order. Asks Kingston to keep that information confidential. Says box that might contain a summons from the American Congress sent by the Manchester coach has not arrived and expresses his impatience since he is moving to Scarborough the next day. Tells Kingston to remain in…

GLC04763

1776/12-1779/03

Kingston, Robert M., ?-1794

Header Record

Title: Burgoyne-Kingston collection: papers concerning Convention Army after Saratoga [word processed inventory available] [decimalized]

Bulk 11/1777-04/1778. Papers retained by Lieut. Gen. John Burgoyne's Adjutant General, mostly his (frequently strained) communications with Maj. Gen. William Heath concerning the conditions of the British officer prisoners (41 items). The collection includes a broadside "Burgoyne's Lament" printed at Boston, eight dispatches from various company commanders, three cypher templates, documents on daily business before and after surrender (25 items) and a packet of four miscellaneous items. The broadside is apparently rare. Materials of interest include the broadside, cypher templates, and an…

GLC04764

31 May 1803

Chase, Samuel, 1741-1811

Autograph letter signed

Title: to James Winchester

Discussing appropriate division of compensation among sailors who salvaged the French ship "Blaireau." Chase discusses the situation and offers his advice. On subject of a black sailor who helped during the salvage, says if he is free he deserves a share, though less than white sailors, and if a slave, still deserves some small payment for taking risks to assist in the salvage. Chase acknowledges the case may be appealed to him in the Supreme Court, and one year later it was, in the case of "Mason v. Ship Blaireau." Among the rulings of the court was that the compensation for the black…

GLC04765

9 October 1777

Clinton, Henry, Sir, 1730-1795

Manuscript

Title: [Clerical copy of report on battle of Fort Montgomery]

Report on General Clinton's feint northward up the Hudson in support of General John Burgoyne's southward thrust. But in the late summer and early fall of 1777 Clinton, who was given vague orders, decided not to move his forces against Albany, which was Burgoyne's destination, but to only create a diversion that extended little further than Kingston, about 40 miles south of Albany. In October, he moved up the east side of the Hudson and crossed to the west side at Stony Point. With a force of about 3,000, he moved north against the combined forces of about 600 Americans led by General George…

GLC04768

June 18, 1789

Clymer, George, 1739-1813

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Benjamin Rush re: coming glories of Constitution, future end of slavery & rum

Also concerns his hopes that slavery and alcohol would be abolished (prohibition), and the debate on the power to remove officials from office. He expects that the excise tax on rum will help defend people "against the poison." Concerning New Yorkers, "[t]he people here presumptuously call their town the Capital. I don't suppose this folly will be suffered to last very long...." Dating inferred per correspondence with Kenneth Bowling, Documentary History of the First Federal Congress.

GLC04769

19 March 1794

Livingston, Robert L., 1746-1813

Autograph letter signed

Title: to George Clinton

Written by Chancellor Livingston to New York Governor Clinton. Encloses petition at the request of Dr. Robinson (not included). Mentions seeing Clinton's family. Mentions political controversy involving himself and William P. Van Ness. It involves the unpopular removal of someone from office (the name cannot be deciphered - Benthingsen?) Wants Clinton to clarify the situation for him. Says Egbert Benson is going to come forward with the story for the newspapers and wants to be able to meet it. Wants to know if Clinton recollects him ever recommending the person. If he or other members of the…

GLC04772.04

January 2, 1782

Pettit, Charles, 1736-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Nathanael Greene

Written by Pettit as an importing merchant in Philadelphia to Major General Greene as commander of the Southern Department. Pettit was Greene's assistant adjutant general 1778-1781. Mentions he sold Greene's and his own shares in the Batsto Estate. Says they are going to have to wait for their money because of issues with the estate. Says he has little ready money as a result. Mentions political backbiting at the Pennsylvania Assembly. Talks about the reduction of salaries of certain officers in order to starve them out so the current Assembly can appoint new ones. Says they are considering…

GLC04772.05

1 April 1778- 10 June 1779

Continental Congress, 1774-1789

Manuscript document

Title: [Military account book]

Includes detailed records for the payment of generals, aid-de-camps, other military posts, and military supplies. Cited as created by the Second Continental Congress, though possibly created by the Massachusetts Board of War.

GLC04773

18 July 1781

Cornwallis, Charles Cornwallis, Marquis, 1738-1805

Letter signed

Title: to Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert Du Motier, marquis de Lafayette

Written by Cornwallis as commander of British forces in the South to Lafayette who commanded American troops in Virginia. Says some of the prisoners settled on for exchange have been sent to Lafayette and that the remainder will be sent on Lafayette's assurance that he will release an equal number of British prisoners and send them to James City Island where the Flag vessels will remain to rescue them. Trusts that Lafayette will keep the newly released prisoners inactive for a reasonable interval until returned British prisoners can be put back into active duty. Separate note written in…

GLC04775

1 October 1772

Drayton, Stephen, 1736-1810

Autograph letter signed

Title: to John Houstoun

Discusses an ongoing land dispute between Button Gwinnett and himself. Houstoun was a lawyer in Savannah, Georgia.

GLC04777

7 October 1777

Dumas, Charles Guillaume Frédéric, 1721-1790

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Arthur Lee [in French]

Report from a French agent on French and Dutch politics.

GLC04778

1 November 1792

Ellery, William, 1727-1820

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Nancy Ellery

Comments on Nancy's recovery from a smallpox inoculation (variolation). Congratulates her and suggests that she will make a better wife after having smallpox because it must have filled her with patience and resolution, and made her immune. Reports that Nancy's friends in Newport were surprised to learn she had undergone variolation. Ellery has also been inoculated. Comments on his old age. A Member of the Continental Congress from 1776 until 1785, William Ellery was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Nancy was his daughter.

GLC04780

16 October 1777

Gates, Horatio, 1727-1806

Manuscript document

Title: Articles of Convention between Lt. Gen. Burgoyne & Majr. Gen. Gates

Two clerical signatures for Gates, once to affirm the document and again to confirm that Burgoyne's name is understood to be used throughout. Treaty documents the terms of surrender of Burgoyne's army after its defeat at the Battle of Saratoga by Gates. Negotiations started on 13 October 1777 and Burgoyne attempted to draw them out as long as possible to see if Sir Henry Clinton's expedition from New York would be able to save him. On 16 October 1777 Burgoyne again tried to stall by claiming militia leaving Gates's army made the initial conditions of his…

GLC04782

7 October 1775

Sackville, George Germain, Viscount, 1716-1785

Autograph letter signed

Title: to William Eden

Written a month before Germain became Secretary of State for the Colonies to Eden as Deputy Secretary of State for the Northern Department. Recipeint was a inferred by Donald Londahl-Smidt. See collateral file for full explanation. References Eden's letter (collateral file says it was 3 October 1775). Says he is happy with the draft of a speech Eden has prepared. Says New York might have been kept as Loyalist if it was attended to properly. States "I always wish'd that the whole power of the State should be Exerted, that one campaign might decide whether the American provinces were to be…

GLC04783