17 December 1775

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Lucy Knox

Longs to see his wife and plans to in three weeks. Discusses activities relating to the transport of artillery captured from the British at Fort Ticonderoga earlier that year to Cambridge, Massachusetts. Reports that both his and William Knox's health has been good. Quips about his rotund figure. Discusses the "Bravery of America" and a growing awareness of it among the British prisoners he has seen: "Enemies who would not before this allow the Americans a Spark of Military virtue." Blesses America and Lucy. Links God watching over Americans to God watching over Lucy in particular.…

GLC02437.00223

9 May 1776 and 11 May 1776

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph document

Title: [Invoice for soldier payment and artillery and supply purchases in Henry Knox's artillery regiment]

Records pay for members of the regiment and money spent on some supplies and ordnance associated with several officers.

GLC02437.00288

11 May 1776

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph document

Title: [State of the companies for which Henry Knox drew pay]

A small chart relating to the pay of soldiers in Henry Knox's artillery regiment. Lists several captains and other officers in the regiment.

GLC02437.00289

13 May 1776 - 24 June 1776

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph document

Title: [Invoice for soldier payment and clothing purchases for men in Henry Knox's artillery regiment]

Records money distributed to officers to pay members of the regiment and to purchase clothing.

GLC02437.00292

18 May 1776

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter

Title: to John Adams

Apologizes for responding so late to Adams' letter of 11 November 1775 (see GLC002437.00208). Discusses military books and the difficulty of obtaining them in America, and recommends books useful to different departments in the army. Comments on the importance of the war and the cause of American freedom with vehement support: "Such Opportunities as the present do no[t] turn up often in the course of human events--the happiness or misery of a great proportion of the human race is at stake." Knox's retained working draft. The sent copy (now in the Adams Papers at the Massachusetts…

GLC02437.00293

13 May 1776

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Manuscript document

Title: [Invoice for soldier payment and clothing purchases for men in Henry Knox's artillery regiment]

Records money distributed to officers to pay members of the regiment and to purchase clothing.

GLC02437.00294

2 May 1776

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Lucy Knox

Mentions having a difficult journey to New York. Discusses the strong military defenses in the city and New York's strategic importance to the war effort. Instructs her to prepare for her journey from Boston to New York, advising her to travel in "coates coach with four horses," "sell Romeo," make sure William Knox comes along as her guard, bring linens, and be economical. Comments on availability of houses but expresses uncertainty about where to obtain furniture. Docket is in Lucy Knox's hand.

GLC02437.00283

February 25, 1776

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to William Burbeck

Asks Colonel Burbeck to procure horses and carts, and move some artillery pieces from Prospect Hill in Somerville, Massachusetts, after assessing the road in the daytime. Notes that he would have done this himself if his wife, Lucy Knox, was not currently ill.

GLC02437.00254

December 11, 1775-April 19, 1776

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph document signed

Title: [Account of officer pay under Colonel Henry Knox]

Knox's record of officer's pay. Signed by Knox more than 25 times (all but once in the text); also signed by more than 23 other officers, including Henry Burbeck, William Eustis, Eliphalet Newell, Ebenezer Stevens, William Dana, Dimond Morton, Edward Burbeck, William Perkins, Jeremiah Niles, John Popkin, Edward Crafts, Jotham Drury, Isaac Coren, and Timothy Stow. Unbound military ledger accounting for pay issued to officers (and some other cash outlays) under Knox's command in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

GLC02437.00258

December 20, 1775- February 1, 1776

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Manuscript document

Title: [Account of cash paid to named Captains for the new Inlisted men & for Blanket money 1776]

Lists captains, the amount of cash allotted to them, and the date allotted. Written from Knox's headquarters. Addressed to Lieutenant Colonel of the Artillery William Burbeck, and signed by him.

GLC02437.00226

26 July 1781

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Manuscript letter

Title: to Gershom Mott

Written for Knox by Samuel Shaw, Knox's aide. Encloses an order from Timothy Pickering, Quartermaster General (order not included). Discusses a wagon which is to be sent to Kings Ferry, New York. Is glad to hear Mott has regained his health. Written at Philipsburgh, New York (present-day Sleepy Hollow).

GLC02437.01089

8 October 1782

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Gouverneur Morris

Relates a variety of information regarding (a prison cartel) meeting with the British Commissioners, General Campbell and Mr. [Andrew] Elliot [lt. gov. of British-occupied New York]. Contrasts Campbell with former British commissioner General [William] Dalrymple. Believes that Morris was "perfectly right" in his opinion that "the British Commissioners wouldn't be able to treat us with equal power." Mentions General William Heath. Knox notes the recent death of his child and illness of his wife Lucy and family

GLC02437.01651

2 January 1783

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to John Moylan

Writes to John Moylan, the Clothier General, that the "troops in this department are reduced to one regiment of Infantry of 500 rank and file, and one corps of artillery." Has enclosed a return of the articles necessary to clothe the men for the year. Asks him to procure these items and send them to West Point, to Colonel H. [likely Henry] Jackson for the infantry and to Major [Sebastian] Bauman for the artillery. Also discusses the structure and size of the departments; may be referring to the commissary department.

GLC02437.01789

18 December 1783

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter

Title: to Robert Morris

Discusses a potential problem in providing rations for the men remaining in service after the end of the year. Writes that "no calculation was made for the Canadian refugees who are in the vicinity of West Point - They draw upwards of one hundred rations per day and their numbers are increasing from Albany which post have been ordered to be broken up - There will be also some invalids who ordered from Philadelphia to be stationed at West Point, I do not know the exact numbers but they will be some where about thirty. I have understood that the Canadian refugees and the invalids are to be…

GLC02437.02843

3 January 1784

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Manuscript letter signed

Title: to Robert Morris

Knox writes to Morris, Superintendent of Finance. Reports that no contract has been made to continue the supply of provisions to West Point. Discusses steps he has taken to obtain supplies to last for a short period. Hopes Morris will "find it convenient to continue the supplies of provisions by Contract." After signing, Knox adds in his hand a lengthy postscript.

GLC02437.02902

24 March 1784

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Robert Morris

Knox writes to Morris, Superintendent of Finance. Discusses the contract between Congress and Daniel Parker & Co., a firm that provided troops with supplies. Expresses hope that Morris (and Congress) will extend the contract after May.

GLC02437.02983

15 May 1785

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Robert Morris

Transmits Morris a letter from Samuel Shaw, who served as Knox's aide during the Revolutionary War. Shaw hopes to gain employment from Morris in an unspecified position.

GLC02437.03146

1 November 1786

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter

Title: to Robert Morris

Writes that two days prior he sailed to New Haven to see Mr. Gouverneur Morris, and returned last night. Also met with Colonel [Jeremiah] Wadsworth, to discuss business (a plan Wadsworth was working on with Robert Morris to loan money to Congress - see GLC02437.003314 and .03318). Writes, "He appears to think [well] of the efficacy of the proposed plans, and will I am persuaded engage in it on proper principles." Could not convince Wadsworth to return with him to New York, since Wadsworth is a member of the Legislature and needed to remain in town. Will come to New York within the next…

GLC02437.03323

26 November 1786

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Robert Morris

Writes that the Board of Treasury will write by the next post to comment on the "proposed contracts." Declares that he sincerely hopes "that nothing may occur to prevent the completion of this business, in a manner advantageous to the public and satisfactory to you and Mr Wadsworth." (Refers to a loan Morris and Colonel Jeremiah Wadsworth are attempting to grant to Congress; see GLC02437.03330.)

GLC02437.03349

30 November 1786

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter

Title: to Robert Morris

Writes that the Board of Treasury will write to Morris by this post regarding the proposed contracts. Intimates that not enough members of Congress are seated yet, but believes that by the time Morris and Wadsworth, as well as the Board of Treasury, sign the contract, Congress will be in session and will pass the contract easily. Discusses the merits of the measure but laments the time it will take to pass the measure through Congress. See GLC02437.03354 for a related document. Marked "private."

GLC02437.03357

December 1786

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter

Title: to Robert Morris

Writes that he has received the documents finalizing the loan Morris and Colonel [Jeremiah] Wadsworth were preparing to give to the Board of Treasury. He is thrilled the plan worked, and believes the public good will be well served. Has received a copy of a letter from the Board asking that Colonel Wadsworth come to New York to finish signing the paperwork as well. Discusses the insurgents associated with Daniel Shays, and explains the claims and issues they are raising. Also mentions several of their acts of rebellion, including several attempts to keep the General Court from sitting in…

GLC02437.03403

January 16, 1787

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Manuscript letter

Title: to Gouverneur Morris

Body of the letter and signature in the hand of Robert Pemberton, Knox's aide. Marked "copy" on the docket Details General [Benjamin] Lincoln's deployment with 4,000 men to deal with Shays and his supporters. Writes that Lincoln will begin at Worcester, trying to protect the Court, and then make several more stops around the state. If the insurgents do not "choose to oppose him in his parties," he will proceed to search for them individually. Is pleased to hear that both he and Robert Morris have been chosen to attend the Philadelphia convention: "I ardently wish for many reasons that the…

GLC02437.03417

January 25, 1787

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Gouverneur Morris

Later copy. Writes to update Morris on the status of the fight against the Massachusetts insurgents. First, mentions that Colonel [Jeremiah] Wadsworth is unavoidably detained for a few days. Then, outlines the actions of Generals [William] Shepard and [Benjamin] Lincoln in Massachusetts, mentioning that Lincoln is planning to take his troops to Hampshire next.

GLC02437.03424

21 July 1787

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter

Title: to William Moultrie

Writes to Moultrie, the president of the Society of the Cincinnati's South Carolina chapter, about society business. Reports that the Society as a whole has decided to repay Major L'Enfant for money he laid out on their behalf, but without their permission, to buy more Eagle insignias; they wanted to preserve the "immaculate" reputation of the Society. The Society also felt that "the general credit of our country does not stand well in Europe," so they wanted to ensure that the credit of their foreign members remained in good stead. Provides details of their reimbursment of L'Enfant,…

GLC02437.03609

29 October 1787

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter

Title: to Gouverneur Morris

Reports that a Mr. Hoffman and a Mr. Hornblower have been in contact with a British company interested in pursuing a project with Morris. Requests that Morris make a decision as to whether he wants to participate, and what his share would be; and that he provide the necessary funds. Briefly describes his own interest in the venture, and adds that Mr. Hoffman would like to write to England right away with Morris's decision. See GLC02437.03687 for further discussion of this project.

GLC02437.03686