Our Collection

At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 70,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World to soldiers’ letters from World War II and Vietnam. Explore primary sources, visit exhibitions in person or online, or bring your class on a field trip.

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10 March 1783

Unknown

Manuscript letter

Title: to the Officers of the Army [The Newburgh Conspiracy]

Written in the hand of Samuel Shaw, this is Henry Knox's copy, and is docketed by Knox. An anonymous address to the officers of the Army, along with a call for a general meeting of officers. This particular copy was sent to the officers at West Point. Gives high-minded praise to the troops, extolling their virtue, bravery, and patriotism -- but then transitions into an emotional-laden section about America's inability to provide for them after the war is over.

GLC02437.01994

12 March 1783

Knox, Henry (1750-1806)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Benjamin Lincoln

Written by Major General Knox to Secretary of War Lincoln. Knox says he wrote Lincoln on 3 March. Says the officers were unhappy after hearing about the failure of General McDougall's mission. Says "That impatience is almost heightened into dispair; papers have been distributed by unknown persons, calling the body of the officers together in the new building yesterday, accompanied by an address, calculated to cause the officers to redress their own grievances." Reports that Washington wants the meeting postponed until next Saturday. Hopes Congress will make a decision soon.

GLC02437.02000

12 March 1783

Knox, Henry (1750-1806)

Manuscript letter

Title: to Benjamin Lincoln

Later copy of GLC02437.02000. References the impatience of the officers on Congress's indecisiveness over half-pay. Mentions the Newburgh Address and the call for officers to meet. Washington asked for a postponement of that meeting until next Saturday.

GLC02437.02001

12 - 16 May 1783

Howes, Lott (fl. 1783)

Manuscript document signed

Title: [Petition to Henry Knox]

Petition signed by four non-commissioned officers, and what appears to be ten privates (several of the privates used an "X" as their mark). This petition asks Knox for help in getting money due to them that they feel Lt. Col. Popkin did not handle as instructed. Popkin had been sent to Boston to collect the group's pay notes. When he was returning to West Point, he sold one at a discount of one third, and left the other three in Boston. These men claim he was not given authority to do that. A copy of this can be found at GLC02437.02219.

GLC02437.02235

29 May 1783

Knox, Henry (1750-1806)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to John Popkin

Discusses the payment of the noncommissioned officers and the resentment they feel regarding the equality of receiving pay, as well as giving directions on how to handle the disgruntled men. For related documents, see GLC02437.02219, .02220, .02226, .02235, .02236, .02364, .10082, .10112, and .10117.

GLC02437.02139

24 June 1783

Height, Silvanus (fl. 1783)

Manuscript document signed

Title: Petition of Inhabitants to have Captain Taylor continue on the South redoubts

Signed by Height and four other individuals. Request from the inhabitants of the south Redoubts that Captain [Othniel] Taylor remain in command of the area since "the people in this Quarter [have lived] in the greatest Harmony and friendship with the Troops ... " Possibly written in New York.

GLC02437.02180

1 July 1783

Barber, Silas (fl. 1783)

Manuscript document

Title: [Petition for redress to Henry Knox]

This is "A True Coppy" of a petition first written on 24 March 1783. Says at the beginning of the year 1780 they empowered Lt. Col. Popkin to "do us the Strictest Justice" to get their notes from the state of Massachusetts from 1777-1779. He received the notes, but before returning to West Point, he sold one of them at a third discount and then left the other 3 notes in Boston. The petitioners said this went against their agreement, as he was only supposed to receive and deliver the notes. Popkin said he would get the other 3 notes in 3 weeks, but he never did so.

GLC02437.02219

1 July 1783

Howes, Lott (fl. 1783)

Autograph document signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Written by Sargent Howes to Major General Knox. This is a follow up letter to events referenced in a petitions at GLC02437.02219. References Lt. Col. Popkin's letter to Knox of 19 June. Says he saw "many things Repugnant to Real fact" in it. This letter is a response to Popkin. Says the petitioners did not give him permission to sell the 3 notes left in Boston. Says they asked to simply receive the notes, not have him sell them.

GLC02437.02220

2 July 1783

Knox, Henry (1750-1806)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to John Popkin

Written by Major General Knox to Lieutenant Colonel Popkin. References Popkin's letter of 19 June 1783. Says as the army is about to be disbanded the complainants "have been advised to another mode by the Judge advocate, you will consider the former order for your recall to camp as cancelled by this letter." Docket says this is a copy of the letter sent to Popkin. For related documents, see GLC02437.02139, .02219, .02220, .02235, .02236, .02364, .10082, .10112, and .10117.

GLC02437.02226

4 July 1783

Humphreys, David (1752-1818)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Written by Colonel Humphreys as an aide-de-camp to General Washington to Major General Knox. Says that Sergeant Barber has applied to headquarters for advice on how to handle the complaints he has made, along with various petitioners, against Lt. Col. Popkin. The peitioners claimed that Popkin improperly handled several pay notes they gave him responsibility to collect in Boston. Says that Washington wants Knox to handle the situation. Says if one or two of the petitioners need to stay in the army to deal with the complaints.

GLC02437.02236

17 September 1783

Knox, Henry (1750-1806)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to George Washington

Knox, Commander at West Point, writes, "I cannot refrain from communicating the joy I feel, and the pleasure manifested by the officers in general, upon the noble testimony of gratitude exhibited by Congress in their resolve concerning the equestrian statue..." Requests information regarding an officers' petition to Congress in which officers would be granted lands in place of their back pay.

GLC02437.10138

23 September 1783

Washington, George (1732-1799)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Expresses gratitude for Knox's praise of Washington in the context of Congress's resolution "That an equestrian statue of General Washington, be erected at the place where the residence of Congress shall be established," passed on 7 August 1783 (and later completed by sculptor Thomas Crawford in the nineteenth century).

GLC02437.09401

7 October 1783

Peirce, Joseph (1745-1828)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Discusses a petition in Congress "to postpone the sale of absentees estates till further orders of the court, and to enable agents to lease as heretofore," which would affect Knox's claim to the Waldo patent. Also discusses the issue of commutation in Congress, and includes an update on the voting results.

GLC02437.02627

18 November 1783

Jackson, Michael (1734-1801)

Manuscript document

Title: to the Congress of the United States.

Noted as a copy. A memorial for Michael Jackson to receive a Brigadier General's salary or of equal value for his service to his counrty and for the wounds he recieved while fighting in the [Revolutionary] War.

GLC02437.09811

4 December 1783

Knox, Henry (1750-1806)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Samuel Osgood

Discusses a situation of a fellow officer, Colonel Michael Jackson, who intends to petition Congress regarding compensation for a wound he received in 1776 which is still causing him trouble. This letter is likely Knox's response to Jackson's 29 November 1783 request (GLC02437.02809).

GLC02437.02818

30 December 1783

Knox, Henry (1750-1806)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Samuel Osgood

Knox writes to Osgood, a Continental Congressman. Thanks him for the "disinterested attention" he has paid Knox in several instances. Assures Osgood he prizes their friendship highly. Reports that George Washington has instructed him to dissolve several corps and reorganize the soldiers whose terms have not expired into an infantry and artillery.

GLC02437.02875

circa 1783-1794

Selfridge, Thomas

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Summons for Knox to present a petition (not included) to the governor and council. Written in the third person and signed in the text.

GLC02437.08075

1783-1815

Livingston, Peter R.

Manuscript document

Title: Propositions concerning a petition to the legislature for a new County

GLC03107.04404

1783-1815

Riley, John.

Autograph document signed

Title: Petition re: compensation for his reservation

GLC07562.03.21

1783-1815

Unknown

Autograph document

Title: [Recipe for consumption]

GLC01450.600. 015

1783-1815

Unknown

Autograph note

Title: [Receipt for Tuckers and note about Thomas Reevas]

GLC01450.600.006

1783-1815

Unknown

Autograph note signed

Title: [Instructions to Mr. Murphy on how to treat sick daughter]

GLC01450.600.014

1783-1815

Brown, A Henry (unknown)

Autograph note

Title: to David Murphy

GLC01450.600.019

1783-1815

Galloway, G. W (fl. unknown)

Autograph document signed

Title: [Receipt for David Murphy]

GLC01450.600.023

1783-1815

Unknown

Autograph document

Title: [ itemized list of taxes for the Murphys]

GLC01450.600.032

Showing results 201 - 225

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