Skip to content

Secure Checkout

Website Secured with 256-bit TLS Encryption
Subtotal: $3,950.00
Shipping: $14.00
$0.00
(includes a $0.00 EU handling fee per bookseller order)
Donation Amount: $0.00
Total: $3,964.00
6 - 10 days
12 - 14 days
2 - 3 days

All fields are required unless marked optional.

Add Shipping Note
  • Visa
  • Mastercard
  • American Express
  • Discover
  • Paypal
  • Apple Pay
  • Google Pay

Verified and Secured. Guaranteed.

Website Secured with 256-bit TLS Encryption
Please select your payment method from the following list:
Click the button to checkout with PayPal.
You will be charged $3,964.00 when completing this purchase.

Cart Totals

Subtotal: $3,950.00
Shipping: $14.00
: $0.00
(includes a $0.00 EU handling fee per bookseller order)
Donation Amount: $0.00
Total: $3,964.00

You are about to purchase:

[AUTOGRAPH LETTER, SIGNED, FROM ISRAEL HUTCHINSON, A MEMBER OF THE MASSACHUSETTS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IN BOSTON, TO SAMUEL HOLTEN, A MASSACHUSETTS DELEGATE TO THE CONFEDERATION CONGRESS IN PHILADELPHIA, ADDRESSING EVENTS IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE INFAMOUS NEWBURGH CONSPIRACY].

[AUTOGRAPH LETTER, SIGNED, FROM ISRAEL HUTCHINSON, A MEMBER OF THE MASSACHUSETTS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IN BOSTON, TO SAMUEL HOLTEN, A MASSACHUSETTS DELEGATE TO THE CONFEDERATION CONGRESS IN PHILADELPHIA, ADDRESSING EVENTS IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE INFAMOUS NEWBURGH CONSPIRACY]. by [American Revolution]: Hutchinson, Israel:

12 to 14 days for delivery
Standard Shipping: $10.00
Details
$3,000.00
( US$)
Seller: William Reese Company
Title
[AUTOGRAPH LETTER, SIGNED, FROM ISRAEL HUTCHINSON, A MEMBER OF THE MASSACHUSETTS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IN BOSTON, TO SAMUEL HOLTEN, A MASSACHUSETTS DELEGATE TO THE CONFEDERATION CONGRESS IN PHILADELPHIA, ADDRESSING EVENTS IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE INFAMOUS NEWBURGH CONSPIRACY].
Author
[American Revolution]: Hutchinson, Israel:
Seller
William Reese Company (United States)
Description
Boston. , June [i.e. July] 2, 1783.. Paying Patriot Soldiers in the Wake of the Newburgh Conspiracy An intriguing and somewhat cryptic autograph letter, signed, from Israel Hutchinson, a Revolutionary War veteran and member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, in Boston to Samuel Holten, a Massachusetts delegate to the Confederation Congress in Philadelphia, written in aftermath of the infamous Newburgh Conspiracy, which had threatened to derail the American experiment in self-government before it was even launched. Following the American victory at Yorktown in October 1781, while Britain and America engaged in peace talks leading to a negotiated settlement that would bring an end to the Revolutionary War, the Continental Army withdrew to what would be its final encampment in New York's Hudson Highlands, with Washington establishing his headquarters at Newburgh. But as the months passed, the army became increasingly restless. One historian describes the situation: "[t]he troops were not being paid; Congress showed no disposition to meet its promise made in 1780 of half-pay pensions for the army; promotions had been frozen; there were numerous other minor grievances. Further, the war was drawing to a close, and there was a growing apprehension among the troops that Congress would disband the army without solving any of these problems. Thus it appeared to the men in the army that their years of sacrifice would be ignored and, worse, that poverty and misery lay ahead for many of them" (Skeen). By the winter of 1782–1783, the situation had reached a crisis. In December, a group of Continental Army officers sent a petition calling on Congress to address the army's concerns, but to no avail. Then, on March 10, 1783, an anonymous, inflammatory address circulated in camp. It urged the army to abandon its conciliatory tone and to offer Congress an ultimatum demanding pay under threat of force. An unofficial meeting of officers was called for the following day. Upon learning of these events, however, General Washington issued general orders condemning both the anonymous address and the meeting and calling for another, sanctioned meeting on March 15. It was at this meeting that Washington delivered his famous Newburgh Address, which is credited with thwarting a potential coup and reaffirming the principle of civilian control over the military. A week later, on March 22, Congress passed the Commutation Act, authorizing a lump sum payment of five years' full pay for Continental Army officers in lieu of the half-pay for life authorized in 1780. Two days later, on March 24, news reached Congress that preliminary terms of peace between Great Britain and America had been signed. It would be months before all the states ratified commutation and the impost that would finance it. Opposition to commutation was especially strong in New England, so much so that in the last week of June 1783, the Massachusetts legislature, in selecting new members to Congress, chose to replace all but one of the delegates for having voted in favor of the Commutation Act (Elbridge Gerry, who was absent and therefore had not voted for commutation, retained his seat). Shortly thereafter, on July 11, the Massachusetts legislature sent a remonstrance to Congress opposing the measure. The present letter speaks directly to the events surrounding the Newburgh Conspiracy, the passage in Congress of the Commutation Act, and the response to the measure in the Massachusetts legislature. It is written from Israel Hutchinson, a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, to Samuel Holten, one of the Massachusetts delegates to the Confederation Congress who had voted in favor of commutation. Though dated June 2, 1783, the letter is docketed on the verso of the integral address leaf in a contemporary hand that reads, "A letter from Colo. Hutchinson dated June 2d. but I suppose the date shou'd have been the 2d July 1783," with the contents of the letter supporting that supposition. The letter reads in full as follows, with some spellings modernized, punctuation added, and first words of sentences capitalized for clarity: "Boston June 2: 1783 "Honod. Sir, "I acknowledge ye Rec[ei]pt of your Letter this morn come to Hand. Am much obl[iged] to your Honor for the Same and Heartily joyne in congratulating you on the happy peace and as to the other matter respecting the officers pay I Doubte not But you and the other gentlemen Had good Reason to vote as you Did and am Exceeding Sorry to find matters Has taken Such an unhappy turne here. No Doubt Before these Reach you you will Be informed who are chosen for Congress and the p[articular] manner and Reasons that prevailed in com[ittee] for not chousing the old members though I could not find one man that could aledge any thing against & as Except in this one Instance the Spirit of the People are very much Raised and this mom[ent?] a Remonstrance has pas[sed] our End of the House against some things which you will soon Hear of Respecting ye officers. God Knowes how the matter will End, pray sir Don't come Immediately Home Least some may say you resent not having a choyce and perhaps this State may not Be Represented for a time. I hope in Due time to have the pleasure to onfold my whole heart which at this time is much crowded &c &c &c "turne over "Miss Holton is well. I am much put [towitt?] to get money of the treasurer for [bare?] necessity But have the promise of a considerable sum the first moment it comes into ye treasury. Pray pardon the writer Paper and pen and Burn the Letter as soon as you have found it out and I think you may well Do that unless you can find a [Disme?] handy. And now my Dear sir I take my leave of you I hope for no Long time wishing you a pleas[an]t Journey home as soon as you can with Honor Leave Congress, from your most sincere friend Israel Hutchinson. "Samuel Holton Esq. at Congress "PS I thank you for your Paper in which I find one paragraph which is in my favor. It is a meeting on the 28 of this month of the officers of the Line in the Last war who are Intitled a gratuity of Lands By the Kings Proclamation. You will find it in the paper of the 18 of June. Please to Inquire whether they come to the grant By their state or By the proclamation and when they obtained ye same." Israel Hutchinson (1727–1811) was born in Salem, Massachusetts. He served in the French and Indian War and was at the Battles of Ticonderoga, Lake George, and Quebec. He commanded a company of minutemen from Danvers at the Battle of Lexington before being promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel, then captain, and finally colonel of the 5th Massachusetts Regiment (later the 27th Continental Regiment). He was present at the Battle of Bunker Hill, the siege of Boston, the Battle of Long Island (where his troops helped ferry Washington and his men across the river during their retreat from Brooklyn), Washington's crossing of the Delaware, and the Battle of Trenton. In January 1777, he resigned from the army and went on to serve twenty-one years in the Massachusetts legislature. Born in Danvers, Massachusetts, Samuel Holten (1738–1816) studied medicine with a local physician before establishing his own practice. He served briefly in the Massachusetts militia during the Revolution and was a member of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress from 1774 to 1775. He represented Massachusetts, first in the Second Continental Congress (1778–1780), where he signed the Articles of Confederation; then in the Confederation Congress (intermittently, 1783-1785, 1787), where he served briefly as president pro tempore); and again in the third Congress (1793–1795). He served variously throughout his career in both the Massachusetts House and Senate and was a member of state constitutional convention in 1779. A fascinating letter that exposes just how fragile was the American experiment in self-government in the wake of the Revolution. Old folds. Lightly tanned, some foxing, staining and soiling. Reinforced at centerfold and hinged to later cardstock. Front leaf nearly detached. Docketed on verso of address leaf. Wax seal remnants. Good. C. Edward Skeen, "The Newburgh Conspiracy Reconsidered" in William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 31, no. 2 (April 1974), p.274.
CIRCULAR. DESDE QUE D. JOSÉ ARTIGAS VIÓ RECOMPENSADOS PRÓDIGAMENTA SUS PRIMEROS TRABAJOS...[caption title].

CIRCULAR. DESDE QUE D. JOSÉ ARTIGAS VIÓ RECOMPENSADOS PRÓDIGAMENTA SUS PRIMEROS TRABAJOS...[caption title]. by [Argentina]:

12 to 14 days for delivery
Standard Shipping: $2.00
Details
$600.00
( US$)
Seller: William Reese Company
Title
CIRCULAR. DESDE QUE D. JOSÉ ARTIGAS VIÓ RECOMPENSADOS PRÓDIGAMENTA SUS PRIMEROS TRABAJOS...[caption title].
Author
[Argentina]:
Seller
William Reese Company (United States)
Description
[Buenos Aires. , March 30, 1815].. News of the Independence Fight A lengthy broadsheet description of the activities of Banda Oriental liberator Don José Artigas, and the tenuous hold of the independence fighters over the province of Buenos Aires. Such Argentine imprints are extremely rare. Not in OCLC. Broadsheet, 12 x 7½ inches. Trimmed close, occasionally affecting text. Old library stamp on recto and verso. Overall quite clean. Very good.
AN ASTRONOMICAL DIARY, OR, AN ALMANACK FOR THE YEAR OF OUR LORD CHRIST, 1756.

AN ASTRONOMICAL DIARY, OR, AN ALMANACK FOR THE YEAR OF OUR LORD CHRIST, 1756. by Ames, Nathaniel:

12 to 14 days for delivery
Standard Shipping: $2.00
Details
$350.00
( US$)
Seller: William Reese Company
Title
AN ASTRONOMICAL DIARY, OR, AN ALMANACK FOR THE YEAR OF OUR LORD CHRIST, 1756.
Author
Ames, Nathaniel:
Seller
William Reese Company (United States)
Description
Boston: Printed by J. Draper,, [1755].. An early almanac by one of the most prolific almanac makers in colonial America. Ames' run of almanacs predated Benjamin Franklin's Poor Richard series by eight years. Ames had a long and notable career, producing popular and highly-regarded almanacs for more than fifty years. Includes a three page essay describing the each of the thirteen British colonies in North America which gives details about their economy and culture. The article closes on the vague but prescient note that "the Breed and Disposition of the New-England People are the most stout and warlike, and deserve the Preference in Military Affairs." Gathered signatures, stitched. Some foxing and tanning, struck-through contemporary manuscript notes on titlepage. Good plus. EVANS 7348. DRAKE 3103. ESTC W29770

Hang on… we’re fetching the requested page.