Description:

Harrison, (Signer) Benjamin



Benjamin Harrison War Time Letter


BENJAMIN HARRISON V, Letter Signed, as Governor, June 10, 1783. 1 p., 7.5" x 9.25"  Repaired tears on folds; some loss of paper on edges affecting two words.

 

Complete Transcript


In council June 10th 1783.


Sir)

            I send you a number of
Tobacco notes received by the Commissioners of Charlotte County which there is good reason to suppose were taken after it was known the Tobacco was destroyed. for particulars I refer to you to chief Justice who is well acquainted with the facts. I think it is necessary you should move against the Commissioners or the guilty receivers but on this you had best consult the attorney after you are fully informed. There are two Notes for rappahannock Toba. which you will deliver to Captn Young to be by him held for further order of the Executive.

                                                                       
I am yr hble Servant,

                                                                       
Benj Harrison

 


Historical Background


After the surrender of the British army under Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown in October 1781, the new United States anxiously awaited the outcome of peace negotiations in Paris. The Treaty of Paris was not signed until September 3, 1783, and the Congress of the Confederation ratified it on January 14, 1784. The British ratified it in April 1784, and the ratified versions were exchanged in Paris in May.

 


The tobacco crop of 1782 was particularly poor, and Governor Harrison complained in January 1783 that “no Quantity of it can be sold at any Price for Cash. The Merchants have it not nor can they procure it and the Planters are so totally without it that the Sheriffs from many Counties have declared it impossible to make their Collections.” The government of Virginia had no specie, but it did own large amounts of tobacco—though often of poor quality—that it had received in payment of taxes. It hoped to pay the $1.4 million required by Congress at least partially in tobacco, but Congress refused to accept commodities from the states to satisfy their financial quotas.

 


In this uncertain environment, it appears that some tax commissioners in Charlotte County received notes for tobacco that had been destroyed, while Harrison sent his correspondent two notes for tobacco to give to Captain Henry Young (1741-1817), quartermaster general of Virginia.

 

 


Benjamin Harrison V (1726-1791) was born in Virginia and attended the College of William and Mary. His father’s sudden death by lightning in 1745 forced him to leave college to take charge of much of his father’s extensive land and slave holdings along the James River. The younger Benjamin Harrison represented Charles City County in the Virginia House of Burgesses from 1766 to 1776.  The House of Burgesses selected him as one of the delegates from Virginia to the First Continental Congress in 1774 and the Second Continental Congress in 1775. In the latter, Harrison frequently served as chairman of the Committee of the Whole. He presided over the discussions of the Declaration of Independence and signed that document with the other delegates. Harrison again served in the Burgesses from 1777 to 1781, and served as Speaker of the House from 1778 to 1781. He served as the fifth governor of Virginia from 1781 to 1784, and returned to the House of Burgesses from 1785-1790. In 1787, he participated in the Virginia Ratifying Convention for the Federal Constitution. He initially opposed the Constitution because of the absence of a bill of rights. He was the ancestor of two U.S. Presidents—son William Henry Harrison (1773-1841) and great grandson Benjamin Harrison (1833-1901).

 

 


WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

We do our own in-house worldwide shipping!
Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. ***PLEASE NOTE: IF YOU WOULD LIKE YOUR SHIPMENT TO BE SENT TO AN ADDRESS OTHER THAN THE ONE YOU HAVE ON FILE WITH INVALUABLE, YOU WILL NEED TO INFORM US OF THIS AS SOON AS PAYMENT IS SUBMITTED FOR YOUR WINNINGS. ALSO, ALL PACKAGES SHIPPED FROM OUR OFFICES REQUIRE A DIRECT SIGNATURE UPON DELIVERY.*** Shipping and handling costs are competitive as we maintain discounted contracts with FedEx. If you have any questions, contact University Archives prior to bidding. After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 5 business days following receipt of full payment for item. We currently ship via FedEx but if your purchase is shipping to a P.O. Box, we ship via USPS. All items are insured. We ship from our offices in Westport, CT. We may opt to use a third party shipper for very fragile, bulky or oversized items. Items requiring third party shipping will be denoted in the item description. Packages shipped internationally will have full value declared on shipping form. International buyers will be responsible for any customs fees incurred.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Westport, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000