Description:

Revolutionary War
West Point, NY, January 16, 1783
Zeb. Butler Signed Certification for Soldier's Leave "By Permission from His Excellency Gen'l. Washington"
MDS

Revolutionary War. Zebulon Butler (1731-1795). Manuscript Document Signed, "Zebn. Butler Col," 1p, on laid paper measuring 9" x 5.25", West Point, New York, January 16, 1783. Docketing at verso. Flattened folds and light creases. Uneven bottom and right edges. Minor toning and faint ink show-through. In near fine condition.

Butler pens a certificate from West Point, which reads, in full: "This Certifys that John Cary has Served as A Soldier in the Continental Army from August 1776 untill Jan'y 1781 and then was Left at Wyoming with his Family by Permission from His Excellency Gen'l Washington who gave me Directions for that Purpose tho Cary had a Man Serve in the Army one year after he was Left at Wyoming." [Wyoming refers to the Scranton/Wilkes Barre area in Pennsylvania, a territory claimed by Connecticut.]

Butler was an American military officer and politician from Connecticut who served with the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. He represented the Wyoming Valley in the Connecticut Assembly. At the time, the territory was claimed both by Connecticut and by Pennsylvania, and was nominally under the former's jurisdiction. On January 1, 1777, Butler was commissioned as lieutenant colonel of the 3rd Connecticut Regiment of the Continental Army. He commanded the garrison of Forty Fort in the Wyoming Valley of Pennsylvania. His most famous action was the Battle of Wyoming, which resulted in his defeat by British-allied forces. He was an original member of The Society of the Cincinnati in the State of Connecticut.

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: 9" x 5.25"
  • Medium: MDS

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