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Lot# 5508 - Auction 250-256

  • Lot# : 5508 USA

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    Congress Post 1775 (July 1): Entire letter from Philadelphia via Willamsburg to Robert Carter at Nomony Hall, Westmoreland County, Virginia, rated at top in red manuscript "ON10" (10d.) prepaid, with reverse showing "PHILA. JULY 4" despatch handstamp in red across flap and superb strike of "WMS. BURG / JULY 15" arrival in red-brown ink: either the latest recorded strike of the British Colonial handstamp or the first under Benjamin Franklin's appointment as Postmaster General of the United Colonies. A marvellous entire of great historical importance.rnrnNote: The addressee, Robert Carter of Nomony (Nomoni) Hall, was a lawyer and whilst he gave tacit support during the War of Independence, he was later one of very few Plantation owners to free all his 500+ slaves in 1788. The letter, written by Richard Henry Lee (1732-1794) was a member of the First Congress and signer of the Declaration of Independence which he himself first proposed in June 1776, is interesting: "It seems indeed as if Lord Dunmore was taking true pains to incut the censure of the whole reasonable world, conceiving I suppose, that it is the most likely way to please his Masters in the Administration. The enclosed printed hand-bill will give you an account of a very bloody engagement between a detachment of the Continental Army and the Ministerial Forces from Boston. Our enemies are compelled to remain under cover of their Ship's Cannon. Should they come out we have 15'000 men under command of Generals Washington, Ward, Lee, Putnam and others ready to give a good account. The Ministerial plan against New York we shall oppose with 5'000 men under the immediate command of General Schuyler. The Canadians have peremptorily refused to join Govr. Carleton and when he has warmly solicited the Indians to take up the hatchet against us, they tell him 'it is buried too deep, they cannot find it'. To us they promise a strict neutrality. Things being thus secured where our enemies proposed to make the deepest impression it remains with us in the middle and southern colonies to take care that the appreciation be faithfully observed...we hear that 13 Transports are arrived at N. York with about 2'000 soldiers, and on their being ordered round to Boston they mutiny and swear they will not go there to fight against their friends. General Howe who commanded the Ministerial Troops in the late battle, we have good accounts is dead of his wounds. He was by much the best Officer they had....Congress will I fear, sit a great part of the summer. Business inroads fast upon us and the public here seems unwilling we should get up before it is known how the Battle of Lexington was received in England...".
    Starting bid : 6,000 CHF
    Hammer price : 9,000 CHF