Description:

George Washington
Morristown, NJ, January 5, 1780
Fabulous George Washington Signed Letter to his Aide-de-Camp Col. Stephen Moylan Re: Promotions in his Regiment
LS

George Washington (1732-1799). Letter Signed, "Go: Washington," as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, 1p, 7.5" x 12.5", "Head Quarters Morris Town," January 5, 1780. Flattened folds and creases. Chipping to edges. Age toning, foxing, and minor soiling. Two small pieces of cello tape to upper portion of an otherwise blank verso. Scattered areas of loss professionally repaired. Boldly signed.

Washington's letter to Colonel Stephen Moylan from Head Quarters, Morris Town, in full: "The Board of War are anxious t[o] compleat an arrangement of the four Regim[ents] of Cavalry, and have wrote to me on that account - You will therefore be pleased to forward that of your Regiment as speedily as possible. As this will be put upon Record in the War office and will be the scale by which the future promotions will take place, I must request you to be as particular as possible in ascertaining the dates of the Commissions, and if any Officers are intitled to promotions in consequence of Vacancies, you are to specify when the Vacancies happened, and who formally filled them. The Majority of your Regiment and that of late Blands can[not] be filled, untill the Regimental arran[gements] are compleated."

Stephen Moylan (1737-1811) was an Irish-American patriot leader during the American Revolutionary War. He immigrated to Philadelphia from Ireland in 1768, joined the American Continental Army in 1775, and was appointed Muster-Master General on August 11, 1775. Moylan's experience in the shipping industry afforded the United States a well-qualified ship outfitter who would help fit out the first ships of the Continental Navy. On March 5, 1776, he became secretary to General George Washington with the rank of lieutenant colonel. Moylan was appointed Quartermaster General in the American Continental Army on June 5, 1776. He resigned from this office on September 28, 1776, but continued to serve as a volunteer in Washington's staff through December 1776.

Moylan then raised a troop of light dragoons, the 4th Continental Light Dragoons, also known as Moylan's Horse, on January 3, 1777, at Philadelphia. The regiment would be noted for taking the field in captured British uniforms. In the campaign of 1779, Moylan and the 4th Dragoons were stationed at Pound Ridge, New York, and saw military action at the Battle of Norwalk on July 11, 1779. Colonel Moylan and the 4th Dragoons took part in the Battle of Springfield in New Jersey, on June 23, 1780, and General Anthony Wayne's expedition at Bull's Ferry, New Jersey, on July 20, 1780. He commanded his Dragoons at the Siege of Yorktown in October 1781, after which he was to take the cavalry to the Southern Campaign. However, his failing health caused him to leave the field and return to Philadelphia, where he constantly appealed to the Continental Congress to man, equip and maintain the Continental Dragoon Regiments. Moylan was rewarded for his service by being breveted to brigadier general on November 3, 1783.

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: 7.5" x 12.5"
  • Medium: LS

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, 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.

October 8, 2025 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