Chamillard de Varville, Paul de, fl. 1779-1791 Request for admission into Society of the Cincinnati
Order a pdf of this item here.
Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02437.05105 Author/Creator: Chamillard de Varville, Paul de, fl. 1779-1791 Place Written: New York, New York Type: Autograph letter signed Date: August 6, 1791 Pagination: 1 p. : Height: 31.4 cm, Width: 20 cm Order a Copy
Writes that French Lieutenant Colonel Chamillard has the honor to represent to the members of the Society of the Cincinnati that he was the commander of 200 volunteers on board the frigate Bonhomme Richard. In the battle with the HMS Serapis "his conduct was such that the most flattering elogiun [sic] were given to him, in consequence the favours of his court were bestow'd on him." Says that of the 25 volunteers on the poop deck under his command, 22 were disabled. He has heard that Captains Stark and [Maurty] of the Irish Brigade were admitted into the Society of the Cincinnati by a decision of Commodore John Paul Jones and Colonel David Humphreys. Hopes that the distinction to these men, "whose titles are less than his, shall be equally granted to him." Note in French on the left margin is signed by the French consul at New York who affirms Chamillard's story. The consul also says Lafayette backs up the story. Contains a wax seal covered with paper in the upper left corner.
Citation Guidelines for Online Resources
The copyright law of the United States (title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specific conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.