Knox, Henry (1750-1806) to John Pitts
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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02437.01649 Author/Creator: Knox, Henry (1750-1806) Place Written: West Point, New York Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 8 October 1782 Pagination: 2 p. : docket ; 33.1 x 20.8 cm. Order a Copy
Written by Major General Knox to John Pitts of the Massachusetts Legislature. Says this is the second letter he has written to Pitts, and he is happy that they are both in "the Cause of Humanity." Says the first letter was about "the young Miss Winslows" who are now at Boston. This letter is about their young brother, the son of the late Isaac Winslow. Discusses the desire of the "young Gentleman" to be in service of his country. He was age 11 at the start of hostilities and is now age 18 and "has attained some degree of maturity." Declares that he has never fought on the enemy's side, and requests Pitts's liberality on the issue. Due to letter's illegibility, it is unclear what Knox is asking of Pitts; however, a similar letter Knox wrote to John Hancock (see GLC02437.01408) suggests he is hoping to help young Isaac Winslow return from New York City to his ancestral land in Massachusetts. According to that letter, young Winslow was taken to Canada at age 11 by his loyalist father in order to stay above the fray.
It seems likely that the younger Isaac Winslow (1763-1806) was born to loyalist Isaac Winslow (1709-1777) and Lucy Waldo. They owned part of a tract of land called the Waldo patent, which Knox would later attempt to purchase in part due to a claim his wife, Lucy Flucker Knox, had on the land.
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