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 surrender void. Burgoyne was…

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

16 August 1791

Hamilton, Alexander, 1757-1804

Autograph letter signed

Title: to William Seton

A confidential letter instructing the Cashier of the Bank of New York, Seton to spend up to $150,000 on the open market to buy outstanding debt-securities, in hopes that it will shore up confidence in the credit of the United States. At the time of this letter Hamilton was Secretary of the Treasury. Because of the limitations of Seton's funds, this action was only moderately successful.

GLC04785

16 December 1777

Heath, William, 1737-1814

Autograph letter signed

Title: to John Burgoyne

Written by Heath as commander of the Convention Army, which consisted of British prisoners of war from Saratoga campaign to General Burgoyne as prisoner of war. Says that he received word from Congress on 1 December 1777 that Burgoyne's troops are not to leave through any port except Boston, the one stipulated in the Convention treaty. Wants Burgoyne to have the earliest notice of this news.

GLC04787

February 11, 1778

Heath, William, 1737-1814

Letter signed

Title: to William R. Lee

Written by Heath as commander of the Convention Army, which consisted of British prisoners of war from the Saratoga campaign to Lee as commandant in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where many of the troops were located. Complains to Lee that many British soldiers are disguising themselves as sailors and peasants and joining the Continental Army in order to receive a bounty, clothing, and arms and then returning to the British barracks. Orders Lee to go to Burgoyne immediately and to retrieve several persons who names are enclosed (not included here). If Burgoyne will not give them up, he is…

GLC04788

9 June 1778

Heath, William, 1737-1814

Header Record

Title: [Collection of two letters to William Phillips] [Decimalized]

Two letters by Heath to General William Phillips. See 4789.01 and 4789.02. Collateral engraving also included.

GLC04789

4 June 1775

Hewes, Joseph, 1730-1779

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Samuel Johnston

Mentions Captain Gilles, who transmitted previous correspondence between Hewes and Johnston. Discusses the Colonies' (specifically North Carolina's) ability to finance and sustain a military conflict. Writes "I fear we shall be obliged [text loss] Promise for our Colony much more than it [can?] perform, perhaps, more than it is able to bear, when a Country loses its [hade?], when its Ports are all shut up and all exportation ceases, say, will there be value enough found on that Country to bear heavy Taxes with patience suppose a Country under such Circumstances was to raise an Army, how is…

GLC04790