LOT Old Heritage Auctions  /  2008 Feb Grand Format Book & Manuscript #682  / 

56101

George Washington Letter Signed "Go: Washington"

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Autographs Start Price:9,000.00 USD Estimated At:10,000.00 - 15,000.00 USD
George Washington Letter Signed Go: Washington
<B>George Washington Letter Signed "</B></I><B><I>Go: Washington</B></I></B></I><B>" as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army.</B></I> Two pages, 9.5" x 15", "<I>Head Quarters, White Plains</B></I>", July 22, [1778] to Colonel [Theodoric] Bland complaining about the lack of adequate clothing for Bland's dragoons and urging that his men be inoculated for smallpox. He writes, in most part: "<I>...I am exceedingly mortified at hearing, that after Colo. Temple has been so many months in Virginia, employed solely in procuring cloathing</B></I> [sic] <I>for the Regiment, that the greatest part of what he had engaged should have been applied to other purposes, by Mr. Finnie. The Men of your Regiment now here are in a manner destitute of cloathing, and having still depended upon receiving a supply from Virginia every day, have made no provision. The Officers who had the charge of procuring necessaries for Moylan's and Sheldon's Regiments have long since compleated</B></I> [sic] <I>the business and the Men are well equipped. Matters being thus circumstanced with you, I see nothing better to be done than for Lt. Colo. Temple to come immediately forward with what Cloathing he has, and to call upon the Cloathier Genl. in Philada. and leave an order for what is deficient. I cannot give any direction about the disposal of the Money sent to Colo. Baylor and yourself, that is a matter which you must settle between yourselves. He undoubtedly, if it comes first to his hands, should give you your share, and not suffer you to be embarrassed on acct. of your public engagements. If you think that the eight or ten Men, mentioned by you, cannot come forward without danger of taking the small Pox upon the Road, you had better inoculate </B></I>[sic] <I>them; but I had rather they should have it done after they join the Regt...</B></I>" Most of Bland's light dragoons were stationed in Petersburg, Virginia while a small detachment was with Washington's Main Army. In November, 1778 Washington would entrust Bland and his dragoons to escort the British troops who had surrendered at Saratoga from their camp outside Boston to a new encampment in Virginia where they would remain for the duration of the war. Body of letter in the hand of Washington's secretary, Tench Tilghman. Dampstained, significant marginal losses affecting several words of text, expected folds, silked with some tape repairs on verso just grazing Washington's signature, good condition with a dark, and bold signature. <BR><BR><BR><b>Shipping:</b> Flat Material, Small (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.heritageauctions.com/common/shipping.php">view shipping information</a>)
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