|
Sale 56
|
|
press UP arrow key to increase the zoom ratio.
press DOWN arrow key to decrease the zoom ratio.
press RIGHT arrow key to increase the zoom window size.
press LEFT arrow key to decrease the zoom window size.
|
|
Lot 46
Washington, George. Letter Signed as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, 2pp, Headquarters near Dobbs Ferry (NY), July 14, 1781. To Col. (Marinus) Willett who commanded the New York Militia in the Mohawk Valley. In full: "Sir: I have rec.d your favor of the 6th. The dispositions which you are making for the defence of [the] Country upon the Mohawk R[iver] appear to me judicious, as I have ever been [of] opinion, that small stationary Garrisons w[ere] of no real utility. By having your parties [con]stantly in motion and ready to unite upon occasion, the small parties of the Enemy w[ill] be checked, and their main Body may be s[ud]denly attacked, if they commit themselves too [far] into the ['Country' is marked through] settlements. A proportion of the Massachusetts M[ilitia] will be ordered to reinforce your command.Up[on] them and the Levies of New York you must place your dependance, for it will be impossible for me, while our present operations are in hand, to spare any of the Continental troops. From your letter and from Major Villefranche's representaition, I find it will be impossible to construct a new Work. I have therefore desired him to put Fort Herkimer in the best posture of defence. And as the greater part of the Artillery and Stores will, as you observe, in that case be superfluous, you will send down all that are not wanted, to the Comm.y of Militar[y] Stores at Albany. A small magazine, by way of reserve, may be kept at Schenectady. I am with Esteem Sir yr most ob.t Serv.t G:o Washington." The letter has toning and fold wear and uneven margins with several letters missing, primarily along the right margin; there are also two small contemporary ink stains. Washington's signature is boldly penned. A draft of this letter is in the Library of Congress.
In July and August, 1781, Washington and his troops were encamped at Dobbs Ferry and the surrounding area, along with French forces under the command of the Comte de Rochambeau. The British controlled Manhattan and Washington hoped to find weaknesses in the British defenses and retake Manhattan. His plans changed on August 14, 1781, when he received a communication from French Admiral Comte de Grasse in the West Indies advocating a joint land and sea attack against the British in Virginia. Washington made the decision to march over 400 miles to the Chesapeake region of Virginia. The allied armies broke camp on August 19, 1781 and marched toward Yorktown for what would be the decisive battle of the war.
Marinus Willett (1740-1830) fought in the French and Indian War, taking part in the attacks on Fort Ticonderoga and Fort Frontenac. In 1775 he joined the New York City Sons of Liberty and helped seize arms from the British. He served as Lt. Col of the 3rd New York Regiment of the U.S. from Nov. 1, 1776 to Dec. 22, 1779 when he was appointed Lt. Col of the 5th NY Regiment. He served until Jan. 1, 1781, when the five NY Regiments were reduced to two. NY Governor James Clinton then offered Willett command of the levies and militia in the Mohawk Valley, making him responsible for the overall defense of the Mohawk Valley, which was subject to numerous Loyalist and Indian raids. Willett used "flying camps" which changed position almost daily; General Washington offers his approval of this approach in his letter. In the fall of 1781, Willett commanded the troops who killed the most hated man in the Mohawk Valley, the Loyalist Walter Butler. Butler's Rangers, composed of Loyalists and their Indian allies, committed such depradations in the Mohawk Valley (including the Cherry Valley Massacre of November 1778), that the news of Butler's death was more celebrated there than the news of the victory at Yorktown. After Yorktown, Washington was able to send reinforcements to Willett. After the war, Willett was one of the founders of the Society of the Cincinnati and served as mayor of New York City (1807-1808).
The Mohawk Valley, located between the Adirondack and the Catskill Mountains, covers almost 6,000 miles. It was the home of the Iroquois Indians and in the 1700s was settled by German, Dutch, and Scottish immigrants It became the scene of commercial and military competition between Europeans powers, leading to the French and Indian War. During the American Revolution, some 100 battles were fought in New York State, including the Battle of Oriskany and defense of Fort Stanwix, where Willett was second in command.
Estimated Value $20,000 - 30,000.
|
| |
| Realized $17,625 |
|
