AMERICAN REVOLUTION: BURGOYNE'S CONVENTION ARMY A.L. 2pp. 4to., Charlottesville, [Va.], July 21, 1779, to Col. Theodoric Bland from James Milligan who was "directed by the Honble the Board of Treasury to call upon the Commissaries of Provisions, Quartermasters, and others, who have furnished the Convention troops with the Articles belonging to their respective departments, to render to me Exact Accounts of the same, supported by necessary and sufficient Vouchers, to enable me to Effect a Settlement with the Senior Officer of these troops for the Articles so furnished...requesting you to direct them.. to furnish me...with the Accounts in their different departments form the first arrival of the troops at this post up to the 30th of June inclusive..." The "Convention troops " were the rump of John Burgoyne's army that surrendered at Saratoga in October 1777. Although General Horatio Gates agreed that the troops could be sent back to England with assurances that they would not take the field, Congress overruled him and made the army prisoner. For the remainder of the war, the army was held prisoner. Until 1781 they were housed in and around Charlottesville, Virginia and upon the approach of Cornwallis, they were moved into Pennsylvania lest they attempted to break free and join him in Yorktown. The reason Milligan needed accurate accounts was in order to charge the British government with the expenses incurred in housing and feeding the 5000 British and German prisoners of war. Light creases, otherwise very fine. $400-600