Sold – Detailed Report on New York’s First Peacetime Gubernatorial Election

Secretary of the Albany Committee of Correspondence throughout the Revolution, he was also Albany City and County Clerk. In 1784, he was elected to the New York State Assembly.

Autograph Letter Signed, 3 pages, Albany, May 10, 1783, giving Richard Varick a wealth of details about the upcoming 1783 election. Varick was at this time an aide to New York Governor (and General) George Clinton, who was running for reelection. This letter is a virtual primer in New York politics for the first election being held in peacetime. “…It affords me much pleasure that our friends below think well of Mr. Yates for the decided part we have taken in the last election. I can assure you that it is not so here, for Schuyler Party ascribe their misfortune to us, and well may they, for if ever any set of people have been thwarted in their measures, they have…our friend Govr. Clinton has a good many votes there. At Kinderhook where they built much upon by the Van Schaack interest, and my detaching Col. [Abraham] Van Aelstyn from Schuyler’s interest, has given us an equality even there. Our Eastern friends have supported us almost to a man…At Schaghtecoke they have been much decided, Col. [Abraham] Yates and Party for the Govr., (Col. Johannes] Knickerbocker & Party for Schuyler, and Rouse and Party for Paine. At Cambridge, Younglove Ashton and others have supported us almost to a man. Col. [Anthony] Bradt, John Fonda and others have done the like at Hosick. Major [Jacob C.] Schermerhorn and others have done their duty at the East District and we have a large majority. At Schoharie with the assistance of Col. [Abraham] Cuyler, we have a great majority. HenryÉwith our assistance has given us a majority at Coxsackie. At Claverack, much divided…I shall only add that notwithstanding Gen. Schuyler attended the Election at Saratoga, by the by as supervisor, we shall have a majority. Upon the whole, I would venture to pronounce a majority of at least 200 in this county in favor of our friend the Govr. The City I had forgot, about half and half in our ward, I am sure two to one if not more. The Manor of Livingston, as I predicted before, have not supported Schuyler, and to the honor of the old Genl., he has been decidedly in favor of the Govr. and has attended the Election with hats full of ballots. Tryon County has almost to a man voted for the Govr. and we were there well supported by Col. Willis, about 600 votes there…”