Description:

Revolutionary War
Yorktown, PA, January 24, 1778
David Grier to George Washington, Rev. War Dated Letter Signed from Yorktown
ALS
[George Washington]. David Grier. Autograph Letter Signed, "D Grier", Yorktown, Pennsylvania, January 24, 1778. Vertical and horizontal folds with separation. Scattered areas of small loss. Chipping to edges. Moderate foxing throughout. 1p, 8" x 12". Expertly repaired at verso and lightly encapsulated in removable Mylar to an overall size of 8.5" x 12.75". In good condition. Not examined out of protective plastic housing.

According to historical records, a letter written by David Grier to George Washington dated January 24, 1778 has not been located. In his March 19, 1778 letter to George Washington, Grier referred to "my letter of the 24th January in which I mentioned the Injustice done me as to Rank by some mistake or inadvertance of the Board of General Officers."

Grier's letter reads, in part: "I see by a resolve of Congress that the rank or precedence of the field officers of Pennsylvania were settled by a Board of Genl. Officers viz that Congress agree to the principle adopted by the said board 'instilling the relative rank or precedency of the officers according to the standing they held in the Army immediately before their present commissions except where persons were promoted on a principle of merit only and that the arrangement made by the said board with respect to the relative rank of the said officers be and hereby confirmed.'

Your Excell'y will see by the arrangement that the Cols. James Ross, Richard Butler, Thos. Craig, Wm. Butler & Percifer Frazier are before me. Therefore I think the board by some inadvertance have mistaken the mode adopted by themselves for my comm. as Major is dated the first of June 1776 & delivered to me that day which is some time prior to the dates of either of the above Genls. commission as Major. I have been so much confined by reason of my late wound that I did not see this agreement till now I am recovering fast & expect to be in camp about the first of March. Should the mistake be rectified but should it be inconvenient to rectify the mistake or should it cause any uneassence among those officers above mentioned: I am ready to resign my commission rather than it should be so were any of these officers promoted on a principle of merit only. I could not have been offended as no doubt they all have merit."

Docketed at verso: "a Copy of a letter to his Excellency 24th Jany. 1778 David Grier".

David Grier (1741-1790) was an attorney from York County, PA, who served as major of a battalion of associators during the latter part of 1775. He became a captain in the 6th Pennsylvania Regiment in January 1776, major of that regiment in October 1776, and lieutenant colonel of the 7th Pennsylvania Regiment in February 1777. Grier received a superficial stab wound from a bayonet during the engagement at Paoli, PA, in September 1777. Though he eventually recovered, he decided to resign his commission in a dispute over rank in December 1777, mentioned in the here offered letter to George Washington.

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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  • Dimensions: 8.5" x 12.75"
  • Medium: ALS

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