Description:

FRENCH OFFICER'S SUICIDE NOTE
MAJ. WILLIAM GALVAN DE BANNOUX (d. 1782?) French volunteer who first served with the 1st. South Carolina, later became inspector for the Continental Army. He distinguished himself at Green Spring (July 6, 1781), an important battle prior to Yorktown. One of the most intriguing pieces we have seen in many years, an A.L.S. "Galvan", 2pp. legal folio, [n.p.], July 24, 1782, a suicide note addressed to "Missrs. Bingham, Clarkson & Brokhorst Livingston". The letter opens: "Adieu my dear friends, Life was become a Burden too heavy for me, I take it off -- Men who do not reflect will accuse me of weakness -- they will be mistaken, that same courage which enables me to meet Death, would have also supported me in having any degree of Pain -- but what End would be answered by it. Love is extinguishing in me every other Passion has disqualified me to follow any pursuit from which my country might receive any advantage -- Why then should I preserve a Life useless to them, & obnoxious to me -- I resign it coolly & deliberately -- the only regret I carry with me is that the Sacrifice was made to my own ease, & not to some nobler or more distinguished motive. I intrust you my dear friends with the execution of my last Will -- have me buried decently, pay all my debts, & if what I have here is not sufficient, draw upon my brother at Bayonne, I hope Bingham will take the trouble of this, if necessary...". He then requests that copies of his will be forwarded to his brother in Bayonne and his mother in Dominica, "...but let neither know the nature of my death endeavor to conceal it, or at least to make it as little public as possible...". Addressing the heart of the matter, so to speak: "...Present my Picture to Miss Sally Shippen - tell her my Gratitude for her friendship, will be one of the last Sentiments that dies in me...The Pistols are loaded -- Adieu -- for the last time, love me after I am dead, as I did you while I was alive -- defend my Memory against all Happy Lovers, for I suppose no unfortunate one will attack it -- I march off as gaily & almost as eagerly, as when our friend Genl. Wayne sent me to attack Ld. Cornwallis, and I hope I shall be more successful in outflanking Love, than the British Army. Galvan...". He adds in a postscript: "You will not my dear Clarkson call my Honor in question, my torments are more than I can bear, be indulgent to me, & forgive me...". We know little else of the life of Galvan, but if he did indeed commit suicide, his correspondents apparently performed a masterful job covering it up (as per his request). The son of William Livingston, Brokhorst Livingston (1757-1823), served as an aide to generals Schuyler, St. Clair and Arnold, and spent several years in Spain as secretary to his brother-in-law John Jay. En route back to America in early 1782, he was captured and imprisoned in New York but was freed in May, 1782. He became an associate justice of the Supreme Court in 1807. The Clarkson mentioned here is likely Matthew Clarkson (1758-1825), aide to Gen. Benjamin Lincoln and present at Yorktown. Usual folds, left margin reinforced, a couple of minor chips, and some contemporary stains (one in the form of a fingerprint at top right), otherwise very good.

Provenance: "Adieu my dear friends, Life was become a Burden too heavy for me, I take it off..."

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May 13, 2009 10:00 AM EDT
Stamford, CT, US

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