Description:

CHARLES O''HARA
(1740 - 1802) British military officer who served in the Seven Years'' War, the American Revolution and the French Revolution, and later served as the Governor of Gibraltar. He had the dubious distinction of surrendering personally to both George Washington (at Yorktown) and Napoleon Bonaparte (at Toulon). WAR-DATE LETTER FROM VIRGINIA TO GEORGE III''S BROTHER Fine content war-date A.L.S. "Chas. O''Hara B[rigadier] G[eneral]", 3pp. 8vo., "Camp near Suffolk in Virginia", July 15, 1781, to "H.R.H. the Duke of Gloucester", PRINCE WILLIAM HENRY (1764-1805), the brother of King George III. O''Hara writes shortly before the Siege of Yorktown, in part: "... The Detachment lately arrived from England, has not yet joined the Brigade, they are at Portsmouth & march from there to Morrow to join us upon the ground. It is a justice due to the Zeal & Spirit of Lieut. Colonels Conway & Lake of your Royal Highness''s Regt. that you should be informed, that those Gentlemen immediately upon their arrival at Portsmouth hearing that the Rebel Army [was] so near Lord Cornwallis that a general action would probably ensue, determined to join us as soon as possible which they effected with much fatigue, not unattended likewise with danger - they were so fortunate as to join the Brigade at Williamsburg a few days after to have their share of the Honor & Danger of Repulsing the Rebel Army which attacked Lord Cornwallis near James City Island the 6th of this Month..." Three months after the events discussed in this letter, O''Hara and the rest of the force under Lord Cornwallis would find themselves besieged by a combined American and French land and naval force at Yorktown. It would fall to O''Hara to personally surrender to the victors, as Cornwallis claimed to be ill. Their defeat there would force the British to open peace negotiations, spelling the beginning of the end for their hopes of retaining the Colonies. Folds, damp staining at the right side of both sheets, causing significant fading of the text there, some slight ink erosion, else very good.

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December 10, 2016 11:00 AM EST
Wilmington, DE, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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