Found 54 collections related to United States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783

James Wilkinson (1757-1825) of Maryland was a United States Army officer and first governor of the Louisiana Territory. Wilkinson was implicated in the Burr Conspiracy and resigned from the Army in 1815. He was later appointed U.S. envoy to Mexico and died there in 1825. Suspicions that he had long been an agent of the Spanish government were confirmed after his death. The collection consists chiefly of letters written by Wilkinson to military personnel and politicians, especially at Fort Washington during the Northwest Indian War and later 1790s. Recipients include John Armstrong, 1792; Bartholomew Shaumburg, 1796, David Holmes, 1812, and James Monroe, 1814. Wilkinson’s letter of 1823 April 17, Mexico, to an unidentified correspondent (probably to Thomas Aspinwall, U.S. Consul in London), describes the election of Agustín de Iturbide as emperor of Mexico. Also included is Wilkinson's 1793 bill to the government for expenses of his servants, and an order of payment to James Wilkinson by Joseph Reed, 1781. less

Elizabeth Graeme Fergusson (1737-1801) was a prominent American poet and author, known especially for the literary salon she established in colonial Philadelphia, and her association with the family estate of Graeme Park in Horsham, Pennsylvania. William Smith (1746-1822) was a Philadelphia physician and druggist. In 1775 he married Ann Young (1756-1780, also known as Anna Young), the niece of Elizabeth Graeme Fergusson. He married Letitia Correy in 1783, and purchased Graeme Park from Fergusson in 1791. The collection consists of two letters dated 1778 March 20 and 1791 March 16, written by W. Smith at Philadelphia to "Dear Madam" (Elizabeth Graeme Fergusson). His letter of 1778 March 20 apprises her of efforts being made by her friends in the Pennsylvania Assembly to restore her property rights, and shares news of mutual acquaintances and the progress of the war. His letter of 1791 March 16 concerns his plans to attend a sale she was holding. less

Timothy Pickering (1745-1829) was a Massachusetts statesman who served variously as colonel in the Continental Army, United States Secretary of War, and United States Secretary of State. The Timothy Pickering papers consist mainly of letters written by Pickering in the 1780s and 1790s in a professional capacity, with Samuel Hodgdon and Jedidiah Huntington being his most frequent correspondents. Earlier papers document the conditions and movements of the Army, 1780-1781, and include bills for services and supplies signed by Pickering as Quartermaster General. Letters relative to his duties as Secretary of War discuss the acquisition of provisions and munitions. Letters and documents created during his tenure as Secretary of State include "an estimate of the expence of negociating a treaty with the French Republic," 1799, and "Principles which should govern in choosing a president of the United States." Later material relates to personal and family matters, including an 1827 letter to Virgil Maxcy asking for advice in the growing of hops. Also present are autographs, seals, and receipts. less

The collection consists of a small quantity of letters written by American Revolutionary War General Nathanael Greene. Letters discuss preparations for the Battle of Long Island; the preservation of public stores and mobilization of troops under General Putnam; and the payment of officers. A later letter references his postwar agrarian pursuits in Georgia. Also present are fragments of letters and other writings; notes from an unknown source on Greene's campaigns; and an undated transcription of an illustrated narrative of the Battle of Eutaw Springs (1781) taken from Johnson's Life of General Greene less

Letters from the Marquis de Lafayette to various parties written between 1791 and 1834. Letters to Colonel Timothy Pickering and Maryland governor Thomas Sim Lee pertain to military matters; an 1834 letter to Joseph Hume expresses concern for Polish refugees displaced by Prussian authorities. Other letters relate to social engagements and personal affairs; recipients include Hugues-Bernard Maret, 1st Duc de Bassano, and Peter Stephen Du Ponceau. In English and French less

Benjamin Lincoln (1733-1810) served as a major general in the Continental Army, as Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts, and was appointed customs collector for the Port of Boston in 1789. The papers consist predominantly of letters sent by Lincoln pertaining to military matters, including a letter dated September 4, 1779, to General Lachlan McIntosh announcing the landing of Comte d'Estaing with twenty-five ships of the line and describing preparations for what would become the Siege of Savannah. Also present are legal documents, including powers of attorney and loan certificates; a bill of sale for the sloop "Polly," and customs documents generated by Lincoln during his term as Collector of the Port of Boston. less

Jonathan Trumbull, Sr. (1710-1785) was governor of the Colony and State of Connecticut (1769-1786). Letters date predominantly from the Revolutionary War period and pertain to military orders, supplies, troop movements, location of the British fleet, Council of Safety meetings and other matters; many are addressed to Major General Jabez Huntington. In addition there are orders for sheriffs, several signed military commissions, a Council of Safety resolution to build frigates, autograph clippings, and a promissory note. less

Jonathan Trumbull, Jr. (1740-1809) was Governor of Connecticut from 1797 until his death in 1809. He was the son of Jonathan Trumbull (1710-1785), Governor of Connecticut from 1769 to 1786. During the American Revolution, Trumbull was a Paymaster of the Continental Army, comptroller of the Treasury, and aide-de-camp to General George Washington. He served in the U.S. Congress as a representative and senator for Connecticut, 1789-1796. The collection consists of letters sent to military officers and others, mainly in his capacities of paymaster and governor; several signed certificates for Connecticut civil appointments and military commissions; and a document signed by Trumbull and other presidential electors, 1800, appointing a courier to deliver their votes to Washington, D.C. Recipients include Ebenezer Huntington (1754-1834) and Jeremiah Wadsworth (1743-1804) of Connecticut, both military officers and politicians. Early letters and receipts concern Army and government accounts, 1776-1780; a 1790 letter to Huntington from Philadelphia discusses the politics of moving the U.S. capitol to Washington. Letters written during his governorship pertain to state militia, personal property and family matters. less

Collection of three letters signed collectively or individually by Richard Penn (approximately 1736-1811) and Arthur Lee (1740-1792) while representing American interests in England. In July 1775, Richard Penn was entrusted by the Second Continental Congress with the delivery of the "Olive Branch Petition" to King George III after contacting colonial agents there, including Arthur Lee. Two letters are addressed to "Hon[ora]ble Sir" (presumably John Hancock, President of Congress) and concern the delivery of the petition to the British government. An autograph letter (4 p.) signed by Arthur Lee at Middle Temple, London, 1775 August 28, describes the delay due to the absence from town of Lord Dartmouth (Secretary of State for the Colonies). Lee shares his views on foreign reaction to American affairs and condemns the character of Thomas Hutchinson and Andrew Oliver, Massachusetts loyalists. A letter (1 p.) signed by Penn and Lee dated London, 1775 September 2, reports on the delivery of the original petition to Lord Dartmouth the previous day. Dartmouth promised to deliver it to the King, but told them "as his Majesty did not receive it on the throne, no answer would be given." Also present is an undated autograph letter (1 p. with integral address leaf) signed by Richard Penn at London to a Mr. Chambers, in which he states "I had rather convince one Honest Man of the Justice of the American Cause than ten Thousand Macaronies," for which purpose he encloses a pamphlet less

Elias Boudinot (1740-1821) was an American lawyer and statesman. Born in Philadelphia, he resided in New Jersey for most of his life. During the Revolution Boudinot served in the New Jersey Provincial Congress, was Commissary General of Prisoners from 1777 to 1778, and was a delegate to the Continental Congress in 1778 and from 1781 to 1783, holding a one-year term as its president, 1782 to 1783. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1789 to 1795, and as Director of the U.S. Mint from 1795 to 1805. A devout Presbyterian, Boudinot was a trustee of Princeton University and first president of the American Bible Society. The collection consists of letters written by Elias Boudinot, 1778-1786 and 1801-1820, as well as three letters received, 1777-1798; his undated draft proposal to prevent further depreciation of Continental currency; and a clipped signature. Letters to numerous correspondents concern government, business and personal matters, many written during the Revolution. They include his retained copies or drafts, among them two letters to General George Washington, dated June 28-July 6, 1778 and August 16, 1779 [i.e., August 16, 1778]. A letter received from James Drummond of Stobhall, Lord Perth, 1798, inquires about his New Jersey land holdings; a thank-you letter from Boudinot to Thomas Sully, 1818, is endorsed by the painter. The collection also includes a letter from James Buck to an unidentified recipient regarding legal matters involving Boudinot, 1787, and a letter from Mrs. R. Boudinot (Rachel Bradford Boudinot, wife of Elisha Boudinot) to William Sullivan of Boston, 1801. less