Our Collection

At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 85,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World through the end of the twentieth century.

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806 to William Knox

Order a pdf of this item here.

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02437.00336 Author/Creator: Knox, Henry, 1750-1806 Place Written: New York, New York Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 9 June 1776 Pagination: 2 p. : address: docket ; 21 x 16.6 cm. Order a Copy

Reiterates the request for money he made in his last letter (see GLC02437.00328). Mentions that Lucy is well, but their newborn is ill from teething. Discusses recent misfortunes from the invasion of Canada. Mentions the 8th Regiment quartered in Detroit heading towards Montreal with a party of Indians. Comments on the activities of Major Henry Sherburne, Colonel John Paterson, and General Benedict Arnold, and a six day truce forced on the British. Mentions that the army was stricken with small pox and General John Thomas was likely to die from them. Chastises William for not writing more often and keeping him updated on activities in Boston. Later that month, British forces in Canada were reinforced and the Americans were forced to retreat. Thomas had died from small pox on 2 June 1776. This letter to William was sent to Peter Knox, who evidently forwarded it to William Knox.

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806
Knox, William, 1756-1795
Sherburne, Henry, 1748-1824
Paterson, John, 1744-1808
Arnold, Benedict, 1741-1801
Thomas, John, 1724-1776

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources