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.

Bowdoin, James (1726-1790) [Commission of William North as a Major in the United States Army]

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 #: GLC02542.11 Author/Creator: Bowdoin, James (1726-1790) Place Written: Boston, Massachusetts Type: Printed document signed Date: 16 November 1786 Pagination: 1 p. : docket ; 25 x 39.2 cm. Order a Copy

Partially printed document signed by Massachusetts Governor James Bowdoin countersigned by Secretary John Avery. North among troops raised by order of Congress on 20 October 1786. Features paper seal.

James Bowdoin served as governor of Massachusetts from 1785-1787.
John Avery served as secretary from 1780-1806.

Bowdoin, James, 1726-1790
Avery, John, 1739-1806

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources