'For victualing sundry rifle men &c on their march to the camp at Cambridge'

ELLSWORTH, OLIVER. (1745-1807). American politician and Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. DS. (“O. Ellsworth”). Signed as a member of the Connecticut Pay Table Committee. 1p. Oblong 12mo. Hartford, January 13, 1776. To John Lawrence (1719-1802), Treasurer of Connecticut from 1769-89. Countersigned by Connecticut Pay Table Committee members COL. Thomas SeYmour (1735-1829; Hartford’s first mayor) (“T. Seymour”) and merchant and Hartford County Sherriff Ezekiel Williams (1729-1818) (“Ez. Williams”).

Pay to Mr. William Wilson [sic. Willson] or order the sum of three pounds ten shillings and eleven pence in bills &c being for victualing sundry rifle men &c on their march to the camp at Cambridge & charge the same to Colony Acct.

After the Continental Congress appointed him commander-in-chief, George Washington established his base of operations at Cambridge, Massachusetts from July 1775 to March 1776. From there, he led the fight against the British in Boston and worked on the difficult task of raising an army sufficient to defeat England. At the beginning of 1776, Washington ordered the raising of volunteers from Connecticut anticipating the possible British seizure of New York City – then the capital of the colonies – and its vital waterways. Our 1776 document is dated a mere four days after Thomas Paine published his famous tract Common Sense, criticizing the monarchy and arguing for American independence. Ellsworth later served as delegate to the Continental Congress and Constitutional Convention and as a U.S. Senator from Connecticut. He chaired the committee that drew up the Judiciary Act organizing the federal court system and submitted rules and amendments to the Senate that became the U.S. Bill of Rights. From 1796-1800 he served as Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Willson has noted his receipt of the money on the verso. Folded, darkly written and in fine condition.

Item# 14835

Price: $800

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