Description:

Cartridge Boxes and Express Riders! New Haven Selectmen Receive Reimbursement

Ezekiel Williams of the Connecticut Committee of the Pay Table wrote and signed this order, instructing Connecticut Treasurer John Lawrence to pay the Selectmen of New Haven £4..10..0 for the purchase of cartouche (cartridge) boxes and for express rider services. This payment came just weeks after a British force under the command of former Royal Governor of New York William Tryon had raided Danbury. Connecticut militia forces attacked the camp of the raiding forces at the Battle of Ridgefield, but the battle left Connecticut Major General James Wooster mortally wounded. This raid only thirty miles west of New Haven undoubtedly spurred the selectmen of New Haven to bolster their defenses.

Governor Trumbull and the Council of Safety resolved on the same day as this document that "Col. Samuel Mott be and he is hereby appointed Engineer, to oversee and direct the constructing and carrying on the fortifications and works of defence begun and carrying on at New London and Groton, and to cause any proper redoubts or works to be erected on any neighbouring hills which might command Fort Trumbull, and which may be useful to annoy or resist the progress of the enemy."

[REVOLUTIONARY WAR.] Ezekiel Williams, Autograph Document Signed, Pay Order for Selectmen of New Haven, May 20, 1777, Hartford, Connecticut. 2 pp., 8.5" x 6" Expected folds; general toning; very good.

Complete Transcript
Hartford 20th May 1777.
Sir, pay to the Select Men of New Haven or their Order the sum of Twenty Eight shillings Lawful money for 4 Cartooch Boxes purchased &c and also the further sum of three pounds Two shillings like money for 3 Several Expresses [sent?] with Govr Letters &c and Charge the State.
£1..8..0
3..2..0
£4..10..0
Ez Williams } Comtee
To Jno Lawrence, Esqr
Treasurer &c

[Endorsement:]
Recd 20 May 1777 of Treasurer Lawrence Four pounds ten shillings Contents
⅌ Timy Jones Jr

Historical Background
The Pay Table handled the military finances for the colony of Connecticut during the American Revolution. Also known as the Committee of Four, its members at different times included Oliver Ellsworth, Jedidiah Huntington, William Moseley, Hezekiah Rogers, Jesse Root, Thomas Seymour III, Fenn Wadsworth, Eleazer Wales, Ezekiel Williams, Oliver Wolcott Jr., and Samuel Wyllys.

In July 1779, British Major General William Tryon led a force of 2,700 men in raids on the Connecticut ports of New Haven, Fairfield, and Norwalk. They destroyed military and public supplies, ships, private homes, churches, and other public buildings. Although local militia offered resistance, they were largely ineffective, and the British captured Black Rock Fort. At New Haven, approximately two dozen Americans were killed and more than a dozen more wounded.

Ezekiel Williams (1729-1818) was born in Lebanon, Connecticut, and moved in 1752 to Wethersfield, where he became a successful merchant. In 1760, he married Prudence Stoddard. He served as sheriff of Hartford County from 1767 to 1789 and as a member of the Committee of the Pay Table from 1775. He also served as a member of a committee in charge of prisoners of war in the state and became commissary of prisoners in 1777. His younger brother was Declaration of Independence signer William Williams (1731-1811).

Timothy Jones Jr. (1737-1800) was born in New Haven and graduated from Yale College in 1757. His great-grandfather, Williams Jones (1624-1706) served as deputy governor of the colony of Connecticut in the 1660s. Timothy Jones Jr. married Mary Trowbridge (1744-1789) in 1765, and they had at least three children. He was a justice of the peace and kept a boarding house in New Haven. He served as a selectman of New Haven in 1777. In 1790, he married Rebecca Hart (1745-1819).

John Lawrence (1719-1802) served as treasurer of the colony and then state of Connecticut for twenty years from 1769 to 1789. During the Revolutionary War, he was also commissioner of loans for the United States.

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.

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