Description:

Washington's Chief Secretary Writes from West Point Less Than a Week After Anthony Wayne's Successful Capture of Stony Point

Autograph Letter Signed, "Robt: H: Harrison," 1 page, 8.25" x 13.25", [West Point] July 22, 1779, addressed in his hand on the integral transmittal leaf to "Colo [Clement] Biddle," and marked "Private." Light toning to folds, small loss from seal tear (clear of text), else very good condition.

Harrison writes in full (with period spellings retained without comment): "Will you be so obliging as to forward the enclosed letter [not present] from Mrs Moylan. It contains a Letter from Colo [Stephen] Moylan. Your Opportunities to Middle Brook on the Raritan [River] are more frequent than mine. I must also request that you will have the enclosed [not present] for Colo Thompson delivered. About Eight months ago I had a Trunk purchased at Philadelphia and have never been able to get it. By a letter from Peter Gordon, Esq. Q. M. of the 8th Instant I am informed - that he had sent it by 'Mr Cahills Brigade'. I have taken the liberty to requested Colo Thompson to make inquiry about the Trunk - and send it to your care. I rely upon your friendship to excuse this liberty and to forward the Trunk to me."

Unbeknownst to Harrison, Colonel Stephen Moylan was then stationed around Pound Ridge, New York. Several days after Harrison forwarded Mrs. Moylan's letter, her husband was hurrying to Norwalk, Connecticut to counter British and Loyalist raiding parties that attacked and burned the town on July 11, 1779. The raid was part of a series of attacks against the Connecticut town led by loyalist William Tryon, designed to lure Washington's army away from its strong position on the Hudson River and allow the British forces at Stony and Verplank's Point to move further north. Washington did not take the bait, and the successful capture of Stony Point by Anthony Wayne on July 16 essentially scuttled Sir Henry Clinton's plans for the Campaign of 1779.

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.

October 18, 2023 11:00 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