Gen. George Washington Signs a Discharge For a Fifer in Lamb’s Legendary 2nd Continental Artillery

Colonel John Lamb commanded the most legendary artillery unit in the Continental Army. Initially known as Lamb’s New York Artillery, it served in the abortive campaign into Canada in 1775-6. In 1777 it participated in the battles of Brandywine, Freeman’s Farm, and Germantown, and then went into the encampment at Valley Forge. In 1778 it was at Monmouth and the Morristown encampment, and in 1779 was sent on Sullivan’s Indian Campaign. The unit was at West Point when Benedict Arnold fled and the next year participated in the New Jersey Summer Campaign. But it is best remembered for, and has a famed re-enactor regiment because of, the part it played at Yorktown. There, utilizing siege cannon, seasoned American gunners and professional French artillerists fired over 15,000 rounds into British lines during the nine day bombardment. Their effectiveness, accuracy, and destructiveness helped convince Britain’s Lord Cornwallis to surrender. A favorite unit of General Henry Knox, chief of artillery for the Continental army, General George Washington issued a General Order relaying his thanks and appreciation to Lamb’s 2nd Continental Artillery.

Robert Sanders was a stalwart of the unit, joining Lamb’s regiment in 1778, and serving until he was discharged in 1783. Thus he was with Lamb for some five years. Document Signed, Head-Quarters, June 9, 1783, being his discharge. It states: “These are to Certify that the Bearer hereof Robert Sanders, in the 2nd N. York Artillery Regiment, having faithfully served the United States from 7 Oct. 1778 until the present period and being inlisted for the War only, is hereby Discharged from the American Army.” It is also endorsed by Washington’s aide, Jonathan Trumbull, Jr. On the verso there is a statement signed by Washington in type to the effect that the discharge is not be final “until the ratification of a definitive Treaty of Peace…” This is our first Washington discharge for a military musician, and a search of public sale records going back 40 years discloses only a few others.

The story is that Washington signed these discharges himself (unlike President Lincoln who used a form with a printed signature) because he wanted each soldier of the Continental Army to know that he was personally grateful for his service. Many of the discharged soldiers carried these precious discharges around with them, and those that reach the market are often in awful condition. This is a nice one with a strong signature.

On the www.revwar75.com website, Sanders is mentioned in the segment, “The music of the Army.” It states after he had just enlisted, that he was "practicing at the [artillery] park.” He must have been very young, as the average age of a fifer in Lamb’s Artillery was 17.

On December 23, 1783, General Washington himself resigned his commission and left for home. The American Revolution was over.