Description:

John Burgoyne
London, England, October 14, 1789
British Army Officer John Burgoyne Recommends Promotions After Resignation of Officer Who Surrendered with Burgoyne at Saratoga a Dozen Years Earlier
ALS

JOHN BURGOYNE, Autograph Letter Signed, to [Lord Amherst?], October 14, 1789, London, England. 2 pp., 7.25" x 9.25". Expected folds; general toning; very good. Includes engraving of Burgoyne, published by G. P. Putnam & Co. of New York. 1 p., 7.375" x 11".

In this letter, Colonel John Burgoyne of the 4th (King's Own) Regiment of Foot wrote recommending a series of promotions occasioned by the retirement of Francis Napier, 8th Lord Napier (1758-1823) as major. Napier had served in the British Army during the American Revolutionary War and was held captive after the Battle of Saratoga. In 1779, he purchased a captain's commission in the 35th Regiment of Foot and transferred to the 4th (King's Own) Regiment of Foot in 1784, soon becoming a major.

William Pitt the Younger (1759-1806) was the Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1783 until 1801, and William Grenville, 1st Baron Grenville (1759-1834), was the Secretary of State for the Home Department. Francis Osborne, 5th Duke of Leeds (1751-1799), was the Foreign Secretary in 1789, and Jeffery Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst (1717-1797), was the Commander-in-Chief of the Forces in the British Army from 1778 until his death. It is likely that Burgoyne sent this letter to Amherst, though it could have been to Grenville or Leeds.

Complete Transcript
Hertford Street, Octber 14: 1789
Sir
I have the honour to enclose the application of Lord Napier Major to the King's own regiment for leave to dispose of his Commission which he purchased.
I request you, Sir, at the same time to lay before the King my humble recommendation for the succession thorough the regiment, as subjoined; assuring his Majesty that there is not one of the officers concerned who is not highly worthy his Royal notice: They are all likewise the seniors of their respective ranks in the regiment, & the new Ensign is particularly recommended to me by Lord Sydney.
The several certificates according to the regulation are sent herewith.
Permit me sir to take this opportunity to return to you my thanks for your obliging manner of forwarding my late recommendation to the Chaplaincy.
I have the honour to be, with greatest regard
Sir / Your most Obedient / & most Humble Servant
J: Burgoyne
Recommended Succession
Capt Fras: Thorne to be Major / vice Lord Napier who retires
Capt: Lt: Hodgson to a company / vice Capt: Thorne
Lt: Grafton to be Capt Lt: vice Hodgson
Ensign Davis to be Lt: vice Grafton
Ed: Faunce to be Ensign vice Davis

John Burgoyne (1722-1792) was born in Sutton, Bedfordshire, England, and purchased a commission in the Horse Guards in 1737. He was stationed in London, where he mixed in high society. He sold his commission in 1741, but joined the 1st Royal Dragoons in 1745 for the War of the Austrian Succession. In 1747, he purchased a captaincy, but sold it in 1751 to support his new wife, and they lived in continental Europe for several years before returning to England. His father-in-law promoted his career, and with the outbreak of the Seven Year's War, Burgoyne purchased a commission in the 11th Dragoons. In 1758, he became captain and lieutenant-colonel in the Coldstream Guards. He was a pioneer in the use of light cavalry. In 1768, he was elected to the House of Commons as a Whig. He was promoted to major-general, and at the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, Burgoyne commanded British reinforcements that arrived in Boston in May 1775. He returned to England before the British evacuated the city in March 1776. Later that year, he sailed up the Saint Lawrence River to relieve Quebec City, then under siege by American forces, and helped drive the Americans out of Quebec. He served under British General Guy Carleton, but in 1777, King George III gave Burgoyne command of the British forces ordered to invade New York. Burgoyne planned to cross Lake Champlain and capture Fort Ticonderoga before continuing on to Albany, where he would meet another British army moving north under General William Howe and dividing New England from the other rebellious colonies. Overconfident from the start, Burgoyne received no aid from Howe in New York City. He did succeed in capturing Fort Ticonderoga, but a superior force under American Major General Horatio Gates eventually stalled Burgoyne's advance at Saratoga in September and October 1777. On October 17, Burgoyne surrendered his entire army of 5,800, and the victory proved to be a turning point of the war, leading France to join the war on the side of the Americans. Burgoyne returned to England to defend his conduct but was deprived of his regiment and gazetted out of the army with loss of rank. He was not reinstated to the army until 1782, when the Whigs returned to power. He was given the colonelcy of the King's Own Royal Regiment, made commander-in-chief in Ireland, and appointed a privy councillor.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE.

  • Dimensions: 7.25" x 9.25"
  • Medium: ALS

Accepted Forms of Payment:

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

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house world-wide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses that proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with a signature required option, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third-Party Shipping Option: If a third-party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third-party. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third-party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third-party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third-party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

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

May 6, 2026 10:00 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

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