Previous image preload Next image preload
Back to catalog
Lot 360
image_0 image_1
British General Tarleton, Who Led the British Legion in the American Revolutionary War, Forwards Correspondence to the Quartermaster-General to the Forces
British General Tarleton, Who Led the British Legion in the American Revolutionary War, Forwards Correspondence to the Quartermaster-General to the Forces
image_0 image_1
Description:

British General Tarleton, Who Led the British Legion in the American Revolutionary War, Forwards Correspondence to the Quartermaster-General to the Forces

In this brief letter, Lieutenant General Banastre Tarleton forwards correspondence from Swansea to Major General Robert Brownrigg, the Quartermaster-General to the Forces, who was responsible for transporting and quartering troops. At the time, Tarleton was a member of Parliament from Liverpool (1790-1812) and a lieutenant general in the British Army. After brief service as commander of the Southern District of Ireland, Tarleton was appointed as the commander of the Severn military district in anticipation of an invasion from France and commanded it from his headquarters in Bath for six years.

BANASTRE TARLETON, Autograph Letter Signed, to Major General Brownrigg, January 12, 1804, Bath, England. 1 p., 7.875" x 9.5". Expected folds; irregular bottom edge; very good.

Complete Transcript
Bath Jany 12th 1804.
Sir
I have just received the enclosed letters and do myself the honor to transmit them to you, requesting you, to put the complex business of various departments into proper train, in order to gratify the wishes of the inhabitants of Swansea as expeditiously as possible.
I have the honor to be / Sir
Your most obedt hume Servt
Ban Tarleton
Lt. Genl
Major General Brownrigg / &c &c &c

Banastre Tarleton (1754-1833) was born in Liverpool, England, to a merchant and his wife, and educated at University College, Oxford, and at Middle Temple, London. When his father died in 1773, he inherited £5,000, which he quickly squandered. He purchased a commission as a cavalry officer in the 1st Dragoon Guards in 1775, and he received promotions to the rank of lieutenant colonel through his excellent horsemanship and leadership qualities. He joined the British Army in North America in early 1776 at the age of 21 and was part of a scouting party that captured American General Charles Lee in December 1776. He quickly gained promotions and participated in the Battle of Brandywine and other battles in the campaigns of 177 and 1778. At the beginning of 1780, he took command in Charleston, South Carolina, of the British Legion, a force of American Loyalist cavalry and light infantry, and helped the British capture Charleston. In May 1780, troops under Tarleton massacred Virginia Continentals who had surrendered at the Battle of Waxhaw Creek. In South Carolina, Francis Marion, an American militia commander dubbed the "Swamp Fox," badgered Tarleton's British Legion using guerrilla tactics. In August 1780, Tarleton aided Lord Cornwallis in his victory at the Battle of Camden, but in January 1781, Tarleton's forces were virtually destroyed by American forces under Daniel Morgan at the Battle of Cowpens, though Tarleton narrowly escaped. In March 1781, he took part in the Battle of Guilford Courthouse and unsuccessfully attempted to capture Virginia Governor Thomas Jefferson and members of the Virginia General Assembly. He was wounded at the Siege of Yorktown and surrendered there, returning to Great Britain on parole at the age of 27. He arrived to a hero's welcome, one of the few British officers who faced little criticism. He was elected to Parliament as a member for Liverpool and served from 1790 to 1812 as a prominent Whig politician. Although he never owned slaves, he opposed the abolition of the slave trade. Tarleton wrote a history of his experiences in North America and continued to serve in the British Army, receiving promotions to colonel (1790), major-general (1794), lieutenant general (1801), and by brevet to general (1812). He had hoped to command British forces in the Peninsular War, a position that instead went to the Duke of Wellington. He was made a baronet in 1815 and a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) in 1820.

Robert Brownrigg (1758-1833) was born in Ireland and commissioned an ensign in 1775. After serving with the 9th Regiment of Foot, he was appointed as Military Secretary to the Duke of York in 1795. In 1803, he was appointed Quartermaster-General to the Forces, a senior general with responsibility for the movement and quartering of troops. He held the position until 1811. In 1813, he was appointed the Governor of Ceylon, and two years later, he acquired the Kingdom of Kandy and annexed it to Ceylon (modern Sri Lanka). For this achievement, he was created a baronet in 1816. He successfully suppressed the Great Rebellion of 1817-1818 in the former Kingdom of Kandy. He was promoted to full general in 1819 and left Ceylon in 1820.

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.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

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

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house worldwide 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 who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, 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 Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. 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.

November 29, 2023 10:30 AM EST
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