Description:

Connecticut Reps & New York Prov. Congress in Wake of Battles of Lexington and Concord

Thaddeus Burr Jr. submitted this expense report to the Colony of Connecticut for serving as a member of the committee sent to confer with the Provincial Congress of New York and the Provincial Congress of New Jersey about how to respond to the outbreak of warfare in Massachusetts.

[REVOLUTIONARY WAR.] Thaddeus Burr Jr., Autograph Document Signed Twice, Statement of Expenses, ca. October 1775, [Hartford], Connecticut. 2 pp., 13" x 8". Expected folds; irregular edges; very good

Excerpts
"1775 May Dr The Colony of Connecticutt to Thaddeus Burr.
"To my Time to New York with Mr Wales & Mr } £2.2.0
"Edwards in the Governments service 7 days }
"To Horse hire 15.0
"To expences paid out 10.0
"£3..7.0
"Errors excepted pr Thaddeus Burr"

"In the lower House the above Account allowed and the Treasr of the Colony ordered to pay the same
"Test Richd Law Clerk
"Concurrd in the upper House
"Test George Wyllys Secrety
"A true Copy as on file
"Examind By George Wyllys Secrety"

"These certify that the above Service was performed for this State by Mr Sherwood at my Desire being at that Time commanding Officer of the 4th Brigade. I once certified an Account for the same service which I am informed was accidentally lost by Hezekiah Hubbell Esqr on its Way to the Pay Table which is the Reason of my certifying the Account again.
"Fairfield Jany 19: 1782. G Selleck Silliman."

"Please to pay the Contents of the within to Mr Jonathan Silliman.
"Thaddeus Burr
"Recd the within in full
"Jonth Silliman Collr"

Historical Background
At their session in May 1775, the Connecticut House of Representatives appointed Nathaniel Wales, Thaddeus Burr, and Pierpont Edwards as a committee to visit the Provincial Court of New York and the Provincial Court of New Jersey "to procure intelligence of the measures that might be adopted by them respecting the common cause of the British Colonies; to communicate a true state of the measures taken by the Colony of Connecticut, and to cultivate the friendship and harmony subsisting between those Provinces and this Colony." They reached the Provincial Congress of New York on May 24, and Wales and Burr returned to Connecticut on May 26, while Edwards went to Trenton, where he met the Provincial Congress of New Jersey on May 29.

Prompted by the arrival of the Connecticut delegation, the New York Provincial Assembly approved a letter to the Connecticut governor and legislature informing them of the order to remove the cannon from Fort Ticonderoga to the south end of Lake George and urged their "brethren in Connecticut" to contribute forces to defending the fort and the cannon and to appoint officers to lead them. The following day, Burr and the other members of the Connecticut delegation had not yet delivered the letter because the Connecticut assembly was not in session, and the council of war had only the authority to direct the movement of troops but could not appoint commanders.

After Ethan Allen and his militia of "Green Mountain Boys" from Vermont captured Fort Ticonderoga, Boston bookseller Henry Knox traveled to Fort Ticonderoga in November 1775 and selected 58 pieces of artillery out of some 200 captured at the fort. Between December 1775 and early March 1776, Henry Knox and his intrepid men moved the 60 tons of artillery from Ticonderoga to Boston, in the process crossing the frozen Hudson River four times. In Boston, they were placed in position on Dorchester Heights, forcing the British to evacuate Boston in mid-March.

Thaddeus Burr Jr. (1735-1801) was born in Fairfield, Connecticut, the son of Judge Thaddeus Burr and Abigail Sturges. He graduated from Yale College in 1755 and held several offices including Deputy of the General Court for several sessions (1769, 1771, 1775-1778), justice of the peace for several years, and sheriff of Fairfield County. In 1759, he married Eunice Dennie (1729-1805). In 1775, he was a member of the town committee of war. In 1777, he was appointed to the state council of safety. His nephew, future Vice President Aaron Burr (1756-1836), spent much of his childhood at Burr’s home built in 1732 and burned by the British in 1779. Thaddeus Burr rebuilt the mansion in 1790.

George Wyllys (1710-1796) was born in Connecticut and graduated from Yale College in 1729. He was the great-grandson of George Wyllys (1590-1645), who served as colonial governor of Connecticut from 1642 to 1643. The younger George Wyllys held several public offices, including town clerk of Hartford (1732-1796) and officer in the militia. He succeeded his father as Secretary of the Colony of Connecticut and later the State of Connecticut, and served in the position for 61 years (1735-1795).

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.

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