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.

Back to Collection Search

Crane, John (1744-1805) to Henry Knox

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 #: GLC02437.09684 Author/Creator: Crane, John (1744-1805) Place Written: West Point, New York Type: Manuscript letter Date: 11 March 1783 Pagination: 1 p. : docket ; 21 x 16.8 cm.

Summary of Content: Consists of two letters written in the hand of Samuel Shaw, Knox's aide de camp. In the first, which composes the top half of the page, Colonel Crane and Lieutenant Colonel Stevens inform Major General Knox that upon inspection, a quantity of salted beef in the contractor's store has been found "unmerchantable and unfit for use." The bottom half of the page consists of a letter from Knox to [Daniel] Parker and [William] Duer. Knox informs them that the beef is putrefied and "grows worse and worse, so that I have been obliged to order the inspection."

People: Stevens, Ebenezer, 1751-1823
Knox, Henry, 1750-1806
Crane, John, 1744-1805
Duer, William, 1747-1799

Historical Era: The New Nation, 1783-1815

Subjects: Revolutionary WarRevolutionary War GeneralMilitary HistoryMilitary ProvisionsDiet and nutritionMerchants and TradeWest Point (US Military Academy)

Sub Era:

Order a Copy Citation Guidelines for Online Resources

Copyright Notice: The copyright law of the United States (title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specific conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.