Lot 1
ELBRIDGE GERRY
(1744 - 1814) Signer of the Declaration of Independence and member of the Continental Congress who opposed ratification of the Constitution as drafted. Important content A.L.S. "Elbridge Gerry" 3pp. 4to., Philadelphia, June 6, 1776 to an unidentified recipient on a wide range of subjects including military appointments, conflicting news from Canada (including a report from Thomas Paine), privateering spoils, troop numbers for New York and New Jersey, and most profoundly, the shifting political climate in the middle colonies that would set the stage for Richard Henry Lee's motion to declare independence the following day (June 7, 1776). Gerry opens by updating his correspondent on his unsuccessful efforts to obtain the post of Paymaster General for him: "I am favoured with yours of ye 20th of May & have attended to your observation on ye office of Paymaster General which with you I think ought to be[?] & a Paymaster substituted in each Department. The Congress have appointed Gentlemen in the department under ye Title of Deputy Pay masters General, thinking it necessary that there should be but one General officer to fill each of ye offices of Commissary, Paymaster, Quarter Master, Muster Master & Adjutant...ye General Offices for ye purpose of obtaining returns of ye Officers of ye Army throughout ye Continent. indeed ye Deputy Paymasters Generals are excused from making such Returns to their superior officer & only make them to Congress, but I cannot consent to propose an office for my Friend which is denominated lower than One already discharged by him with Credit & Dignity… "
Gerry then relates conflicting reports over the battle at Cedars on the St. Lawrence River, west of Montreal: "On 2 Instant We received a Letter inclosing Sundry others Sent by General Schuyler to General Washington dated 27th May at Albany, & in one wrote by General Sullivan to G[eneral]. Sch[uyler]. at Ticonderoga[.] He says that the Commissary at St. John had just arrived & informed him that ye Kings Troops Stationed at Detroit had come down with a Number of Indians making in ye Whole about 1000 & attacked a party of our Men at ye Cedars abt. 30 Miles from Montreal & cut them all off, also that Major Sherburne & another party of about 150 sent to reinforce them was cut of[f] to a Man; the account appeared to Congress very imperfect but gave room to fear that Some unfortunate event had taken Place: but Mr [Thomas] Payne [sic] author of Common Sense shewed me a Letter from Albany dated ye 30th May which came to Hand yesterday & was wrote by Mr Walker who is a Gentleman of Education, wherein he says that our Troops at ye Cedars hearing of a Party of Regulars & Indians coming to attack them gave them Battle & entirely routed them having them killed & taken Prisoner a considerable Part thereof. From these different accounts every one is left to form his own opinion, & We hope that ye latter will prove true since it is 3 Days taller [?] than General Schuyler's, but do not choose to place too much Dependence on it altho ye Chance preponderate Somewhat in our Tavern." Paine and his informant were optimistic and mistaken. Both forces surrendered to the superior British forces at the Cedars in late May 1776 but following negotiations the prisoners were freed. Still, Arnold was unable to continue in Canada much longer. Although in early June he received fresh reinforcements, his defeat at Trois Riveres on June 8 forced him to retreat south.
In more 'solid' news, Gerry relates the contents of a valuable prize taken by American privateers: "a privateer owned by Some Gentlemen in this City is arrived at Egg Harbour with ye agre[e]able advice of her having taken in Company with another small privateer from ye same place three homeward bound Jamaica Men with 1200 h[ogshea]ds Sugar 140 Puncheons Rum 70 Pipes madeira 24 000 mexico Dollars &c &c &c & sent them to Dartmouth in [?] Bay. ye privateer took out ye Specie & divided it between them half of which is now on ye Road to this place. this may be depended on as a Fact." An influx of hard currency would have been a welcome sight to a cash-strapped Congress.
Gerry, like John Adams, was an early convert to the independence movement. Although the publication of Paine's Common Sense did much to swing public opinion in favor of independence there were still many who still hoped for reconciliation, especially in the middle colonies. On the eve of Richard Henry Lee's independence motion, Gerry continues with evident glee, "The Answer of ye King to ye London Petition has given ye Coup de Grace to all Expectations of Reconciliation in ye middle Colonies & I think will produce excellent effect from the observations to be made in this City, but it is much regretted that their Knowledge was so shallow as not to have discovered ye Designs of ye Ministry which were equally apparent to every discerning Person in ye Beginning of ye present Year" Congress had adopted the 'Olive Branch' petition on July 5, 1775 which was presented to the King in September. George III refused to receive it. The news of the King's reaction arrived in America in November. But Gerry is not referring to that petition, but yet another petition, drafted and sent in December 1775 in response to George III's proclamation of August 23, 1775 that the colonies were in an open state of rebellion. The tone of the document was defiant in the face of the royal proclamation, but still assumed eventual reconciliation within the British Empire. Like the Olive Branch Petition, it went nowhere. Instead, the colonists learned in the Spring that George III had ordered that effective March 1, 1776 all commerce with the colonies would cease, helping galvanize public opinion in favor of independence. As he wrote these words, he very likely already knew what was to come the next day. Fellow Massachusetts delegate Samuel Adams wrote the same day, 'Tomorrow a Motion will be made, and a Question I hope decided, the most important that was ever agitated in America.' The following day, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia introduced his independence resolutions in Congress, which were seconded by John Adams.
Gerry then reports on troop allotments for the upcoming campaign. Although it would be another month before British sails would appear in New York Bay, Washington had already spent months reinforcing the city and its surroundings anticipating the British move. Unfortunately for Arnold with his diminished forces in Canada, Washington's plans forced Congress to reduce the number of reinforcements to be sent northward:"Congress have voted but 6000 Men for Canada & 2000 Indians if ye General can obtain them instead of 10000 Men w[hi]ch I mentioned to Colo [?] as intended to reinforce ye army, having left out 2000 after ye same we agreed to be a Com[ittee] of the whole House -- ye Army at N York is to be reinforced to ye Number of 25000 & a flying Camp at ye Jerseys of 10000 --- General Whitcomb is appointed a Brigadier -- Colo Mercer another, & Colo Reed Adjutant General." The "Flying Camp" was a large body of militia drawn primarily from Pennsylvania and New Jersey that would act as a rapid reaction force to counter possible British moves against New Jersey and Philadelphia. The force continued in service until December 1776 when their enlistments expired. The force was a demonstration of Congress' military naivety concerning the abilities of militia, often the first to flee when facing regular soldiers in battle. The 10,000 strong militia did little to stem the British advance across central New Jersey, and its complete evaporation on the 1st of December brought Washington's shrinking army to the brink of extinction. Only the successes at Trenton and Princeton would reverse his fortunes.
On April 3, 1776, Congress had authorized privateering against British shipping, an act that at once complicated efforts at reconciliation but helped doom the nascent American Navy to strategic insignificance during the war. The Navy could not compete for able seamen who were lured by the prospect of adventure and profit on privateers. Gerry too caught the privateering bug, proposing to his correspondent that they finance vessels: "Pray inform me whether We cannot fit out a privateer or two & send for some Woolen & Linnens [sic] on ye Coast of England? two fishing schooners with eight guns each & forty Men would bring Us three or four rich Londoners in three or four Months Time, And I think We want Spirit if ye same is not attempted. I will readily be concerned but cannot add as ye Express is waiting being Sir your Sincere Friend & humble Servt Eldridge Gerry."
A superb letter by Gerry bearing minor marginal tears, a few toned spots from old tape repairs, usual folds, else very good to fine condition.
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