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Lot 189
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Philip Schuyler draft ALS calling for investigation of credentials of Brigadier General David McCarty during the Revolutionary War
Philip Schuyler draft ALS calling for investigation of credentials of Brigadier General David McCarty during the Revolutionary War
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Description:

Schuyler Philip

Both sides of a single sheet, 7.75” x 12.25”; New York; March 26, 1795. With various emendations throughout; gently toned with a small ink stain along the left margin affecting a single word. Schuyler has lightly crossed out several parts of the letter, but the text remains entirely legible. This page is likely removed from Schuyler’s letter book, as the beginning of a second letter on the same topic fills the bottom third of the verso. The letter is accompanied by an engraving of Schuyler in his military uniform measuring 7.25” x 10.75”.

Schuyler had served as a Major General during the Revolution. At the close of the War, he remained in public service throughout most of his life. He lost his Senate seat to Aaron Burr in 1791, and it is theorized that this may be a source of the discord between Burr and Schuyler’s son-in-law Alexander Hamilton. Schuyler would take back his seat from Burr in the election of 1796. Schuyler also served intermittently on the Council of Appointments, a governing body of the state of New York.

Schuyler had served on the Council in 1794, and the letter offered here is inquiring about an investigation into the service of David Mc Carty during the Revolutionary War that had been started during Schuyler’s tenure the previous year. It is unclear who Schuyler is writing to, as the letter is simply addressed, “Gentlemen.” The letter reads in part: “The Council of appointment for the year preceding the present resolved in the month of March last that a court be instituted to inquire what rank David Mc Carty Esqr held in the late army of the United States or in the troops raised for the defence of this state or in the militia thereof previous to his appointment of Brigadier General specifying the rates of his several commissions and whether he at any time resigned any and what commission when…When the council met in September last no report had been made but his Excellency the President promised that he would renew the order on the day preceding that on which I left Albany to meet the council on the third of January at Poughkeepsie Assembly to adjournment General Gansevoort informed me that he had received no order relative to the forementioned. This I impart to his Excellency’s indisposition during that period. Some of the officers who were superseded by the appointment of Mr. Mc Carty to the office of Brigadier General having addressed to me on the… I advised them the business would be decided on at the… next meeting of the Council…” Schuyler goes on to outline McCarty’s service ranks during war, and closes with his signature, “Ph Schuyler”.

Schuyler begins a second letter on the topic of McCarty’s appointment addressed to current members of the Council asking that they look into the matter, immediately below. This second letter ends abruptly, suggesting that the sheet is removed from Schuyler’s letter book. The first letter is complete, and value is assessed on that basis.

Provenance: This item was recently discovered in an extra illustrated volume of “History of the City of New York” by Mary L. Booth, New York W. R. C. Clark, 1867. Originally two volumes, the monumental task of expanding the work to twenty-one volumes done by none other than Emery E. Childs, Esq. of New York City. In volume one of this work exists a lovely india ink drawing of Mary L. Booth, along with a notation”presented by her to E E C,” in pencil. Next to the title page we find an original letter of Booth to Childs dated April 4, 1872, “I am in receipt of your favor of the 4th inst., and am grateful to hear that you are taking the trouble to illustrate my History of the City of New York in the manner you describe. I shall be happy to see you, should you favor me with a call as I am usually in my office during business hours and should be pleased to facilitate your Enterprise by any means in my power.”

It is assumed that the book took several years to assemble, at which point, assumedly through Childs, it made its way to Senator Charles B. Farwell of Chicago, who took the seat of John A. Logan in 1887. Farwell had an extensive library that fortunately survived the Great Chicago Fire in 1871, having been housed in his Lakeside home. In the American Bibliopolist of November 1871, there is an article about the devastation to libraries caused by the tragedy. “Mr C. B. Farwell’s library is also fortunately far out from the city, at his country house, and is safe … The same remark will also apply to the extensive collection of books and curiosities belonging to Mr. E. E. Childs.” This establishes the Chicago connection between Childs and Farwell.

That these letters were preserved for over 140 years and having never been on the market for that period is remarkable on many levels. It is the state of being wedged in these volumes that also accounts for what is mostly the pristine state of preservation.

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