Sep 27, 2018 - Sale 2486

Sale 2486 - Lot 210

Unsold
Estimate: $ 600 - $ 900
"THEY ARE IN GENERAL SADLY DISTRESSED FOR CLOATHING OF ALL KINDS" (AMERICAN REVOLUTION--1777.) Paumier, Peter. Letters from occupied New York, describing disease and hunger among the rebels. 2 manuscript pages (contemporary copy), plus a detached docket leaf; folds and wear, with chipping at edges and slight loss of text. New York, 13 and 20 March 1777
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Additional Details

These two letters were originally written from New York to a London merchant; offered here are copies apparently made for merchant Richard Oswald of Scotland. They offer wonderfully detailed intelligence on conditions in the colonies as seen from occupied New York. "A strong report now prevails here that Genl. Carlton is now actually at Ticonderoga, but in this city they are the best fabricators of lies I ever saw.. . . Something great is in agitation & will speedily be put into execution. We have frequent skirmishes with our foraging parties, in which we are generally successfull, tho' we have lost some brave officers and men. . . . Our cruizers keep bringing in vessels almost daily, but for want of a court of admiralty to condemn them, the prizes become of little value to the captains. The friends to the govt. in Virginia that have erected the King's standard increase daily in numbers. They are now at about 3000 & supported in the operations by Comm. Hotham and his squadron, which lye in Chesepeak Bay. They have lately sent in some very valuable prizes here. The people of Philadelphia are in a most distressing situation, owing to a kind of pestilential disorder or putrid fever, which wages with great evidence among the Rebel Army. They are in general sadly distressed for cloathing of all kinds and for salt. Mr. Lee still remains a prisoner here, and nothing is determined as to his fate. Of late there has been a great intercourse between Mr. Streachey & him, to what purport is not publickly known."
Paumier's 20 March letter appended below adds that "we have had some successfull skirmishes with the rebells, tho' we lost a valuable officer 3 days ago, a Capt. Campbell of the New York Volunteers, who was shot in a most rascally manner after the villains had call'd for quarter." Provenance: from the papers of Richard Oswald (see lot 193), who is mentioned in the letter.