Kemble, Stephen, 1740-1822 [Orderly books of American Loyalist]

Collection Summary

Lieutenant Colonel Kemble, an American Loyalist related by marriage to Thomas Gage, served as chief of intelligence under William Howe and (briefly) Henry Clinton. He eventually gave up his position to Major John Andre. Locations include Boston, Halifax, New York, White Plains, and Philadelphia, among others. The books, kept in British Army headquarters, record information relating to the occupation of Boston, New York and Philadelphia, as well as the battles of White Plains and Monmouth, and the captures of Fort Washington and Lee. Kemble recorded not only copies of Howe's and Clinton's general orders transmitted from Philadelphia, but also general orders issued by the generals commanding in New York. Coverage is: vol. 1 15 Nov. 1775 - 11 Mar 1776 (182 pp.); vol. 2 12 mar. 1776 - 29 June 1776 (183 pp.); vol. 3 6 Oct. 1776 - 20 Jan. 1777 (177 pp.); vol. 4 20 June 1777 - 19 Nov. 1777 (279 pp.); vol. 5 23 Feb. 1778 - 5 July 1778 (123 pp.). There appears to be one missing volume. (The book covering 30 June 1776- 5 Oct. 1776 appears to be at Morristown, New Jersey; one volume covering 21 January - 19 June 1777 is in the New York State Library, and two books covering 4 Oct - 28 November 1777 and 11 September - 24 October 1778 are in the New-York Historical Society.) The volumes were all edited and published in Collections of the New-York Historical Society (1883) pp. 251-626. Refer to GLC07120.

Collection Details