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.

Doughty, John (1754-1826) Victualing return

High-resolution images are available to schools and libraries via subscription to American History, 1493-1943. Check to see if your school or library already has a subscription. Or click here for more information. You may also order a pdf of the image from us here.

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02437.01993 Author/Creator: Doughty, John (1754-1826) Place Written: West Point, New York Type: Document signed Date: 14 March 1783 circa Pagination: 1 p. : docket ; 22.6 x 22.8 cm. Order a Copy

Return issued for the rations for 8 men over 4 days, from 10 March to 13 March. A total of 32 rations were issued. Appears to be for "ye Andrew CMarshal." Signed by Captain John Howell of the main guard and John Doughty as fort major of West Point. Note at bottom says this a copy of an original which was lost. Docket signed by Jonathan Edwards(?) stating the rations arrived from contractors.

JOHN DOUGHTY was born in New York City on 25 July 1754; was graduated from King's College (Columbia University) in 1770; entered military service through New Jersey state channels, January 1776; served as adjutant general of two Morris County battalions; was appointed captain-lieutenant of the Eastern Artillery Company of New Jersey, March 1776; became captain in the 2d Continental Artillery, January 1777; served as aide to Major General Philip Schuyler; was assigned to command the New York State company of artillery, March 1777; participated in the battles of Brandywine (1777), Germantown (1777), Monmouth (1778), Springfield (1780), and Yorktown (1781); was appointed brigade major of the Corps of Artillery, 1779; was appointed fort major for the West Point garrison, 1782; was transferred to the Corps of Artillery, June 1783, and promoted to brevet major in September; became the Army's ranking officer following the discharge from the Army of all but eighty men, June 1784; was the senior officer of the United States Army, 20 June-12 August 1784; superintended the construction of Fort Harmar (1785) and Fort Washington (1789) on the Ohio frontier; was designated major of the Battalion of Artillery, 1789; was dispatched by President Washington to the frontier to negotiate with the Choctaw Nation for trading post sites, 1789; repelled with serious losses an attack by Cherokee, Shawnee, and Creek Indians while leading a detachment up the Tennessee River on a negotiating mission to the Chickasaw Nation, 1790; declined a proffered appointment as lieutenant colonel of the 2d Infantry, after which he retired from the Army, March 1791; was appointed brigadier general of artillery, 2d Division, New Jersey Militia, 1793; was appointed lieutenant colonel, 2d Regiment of Artillerists and Engineers, as war with France threatened, June 1798; resigned and returned to private life on his estate at Morristown, New Jersey, to engage in agriculture and pursue literary studies, May 1800; died there on 16 September 1826.

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources