A Spectacular Collection Last Sold in 1948
Letters of Washington, Hancock, Hamilton, Benedict Arnold, Cornwallis, and Lafayette telling an unprecedented story of the American Revolution
In the 1940s, a man in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, shopping at some of the finest and most experienced autograph dealers of the 20th century, assembled a collection devoted to George Washington, the men who served under him during the war, and those he fought against. The collection showcased his deep, broad knowledge of the Revolutionary War. He had a fine eye for interesting and important documents, and he was buying at a time when one could find material that is often inaccessible today. Legendary dealers Mary Benjamin, Charles Hamilton, the Rosenbach firm, and others aided him in his quest.
To learn more about the collection, listen to an interview with Nathan Raab on the Inspired by History podcast:
This collector’s zeal for Washington was matched by a keen eye for material documenting key moments in his leadership and his trials during the war
So one finds:
- An urgent message signed by General Washington to Robert Morris, forwarding a confidential message from the imprisoned Charles Lee, body in the hand of Alexander Hamilton;
And also:
- A note written by tea party Patriot Thomas Chase, sending orders from General Washington for spears to protect the first encampment, just days after Washington arrives to take first command in 1775.
Great leaders are matched with great events
- A powerful letter of John Hancock as President of the Continental Congress, sending General Artemas Ward needed funds for troops;
And
- An archive of 8 documents showing the fight to protect the encampment at Bound Brook, including copies of Washington’s general orders and a battle description;
There are figures in the collection one rarely finds in important war-date letters, among them:
- A letter in which General Israel Putnam, the hero of Bunker Hill, responds to General Washington’s call for immediate reinforcements to defend against the British move to cut the Colonies in two;
And
- Another in which Colonel Light Horse Harry Lee in 1777 prepares to counterattack after the surprise at Washington’s Continental Army Headquarters
And
- A letter from General Charles Lee criticizing General Washington for the fall of Fort Washington and fearing for the fate of “American Freedom” in 1776
Some names are well known…. And some are not. So:
- There are 3 letters great letters of Alexander Hamilton, among them 2 written during the war and 2 mentioning Washington
And
- An original resolution of Newport, RI after the imposition of the Intolerable Acts, signed by Town Clerk William Coddington: “We consider this Attack upon them as utterly subversive of American Liberty. For ye same Power may at Pleasure destroy yᵉ Trade of and Shut up the Ports of every other Colony in its Turn so that there will be a total End of all Property.”
He collected Washington, as well as those he fought against
- A letter of Washington aiming at the “advancement of the common cause and for the honor & interest of the American Arms”, written to one of his Generals
And
- One written by Cornwallis from Charleson to his mother, saying: “I may safely call on God to witness that I have no other rule for my conduct but the good of my country, which I am determined to contribute all in my power to save, in spite of our foreign & domestic enemies.”
And
- A great letter from General Benedict Arnold to Governor George Clinton, February 1779: “A most cruel and villainous attack on my Character since I left the City, by the President and Council of the State of Pennsylvania, obliges me to return”
“The Chest is now nearly exhausted. The whole Army is two Months in Arrears, and part of them must starve.” -William Palfrey
To view a catalog of the entire collection, a downloadable PDF is available.
To learn more about the mid-century autograph dealers who originally sold this material to the collector in the 1940s-50s, listen to this interview with Steven Raab on the Inspired by History podcast:
