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John Hancock Autograph Note Signed, Written on an Important Autograph Letter Signed by Continental Army General Charles Lee....
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Description
One Day After the Continental Congress Declares Its Independence from Great Britain, John Hancock Praises God for One of the Colonies' First Great Victories, the Battle of Sullivan Island, and References George Washington
"I have sent the Gen'l the whole of the most fortunate defeat of the troops and ships at So. Carolina. God Almighty be praised, I feel grateful."
John Hancock Autograph Note Signed, Written on an Important
Autograph Letter Signed by Continental Army General Charles
Lee. Two pages on a bifolium with integral address leaf, 7.875
x 12.25 inches (200 x 311 mm). "Charlestown" [Charleston,
South Carolina], June [but July] 3, 1776. Letter addressed to Col.
William Palfrey, "Pay Master General of the Continent,
Headquarters" [New York City], with a five-line John Hancock
Autograph Note Signed on the address leaf. Hancock received
this letter first, and, sending it to Palfrey, his chief clerk,
wrote this note on the back.John Hancock's note reads, in full:
I have not time to write you. I have sent the Gen'l the whole of the most fortunate defeat of the troops and ships at So. Carolina. God Almighty be praised, I feel grateful. Adieu, yours, J. Hancock.
Here, Hancock humbly thanks God for the crucial victory, even as he contemplates its importance to the new Declaration of Independence.
On June 7, 1776, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia submitted a proposal to Congress to declare the American colonies an independent nation. Congress responded by appointing a committee to draft the Declaration of Independence, which consisted of Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Robert R. Livingston, and Roger Sherman. The final document it produced was drafted by Jefferson and contained important revisions suggested by Franklin. Congress approved American independence on July 2, 1776, and the Declaration of Independence was agreed to two days later on July 4. John Hancock, President of the Continental Congress, was the only person to sign it on July 4.
Thus, when Hancock received Lee's letter on July 19, he was brimming with enthusiasm over the Declaration of Independence and the great victory that had stymied the British in the South, among the first major American victories in the war.
Hancock's text overshadows what is a very important letter of General Charles Lee announcing his greatest military triumph, in itself a rarity. Lee's letter reads, in part:
My Dr. Palfrey, The old observation that money spoileth the wit is not exemplify'd in you. On the contrary, you have grown more since you were Master of four times five and twenty Dollars per month. God inspire the Congress with the resolution of still increasing your store, that you may still become a more entertaining Correspondent. We often long to laugh with the gallant Palfrey - but you could only afford us half the Amusement you did formerly. You must remember that not only the quantity of good things which came out of your mouth but the quantity which went into your mouth furnish'd us with matter of wonder and pleasure - and conversion. But, alas, were you with us now...you would be totally eclipsed in one of these branches.
We have a little Secretary (don't be shocked) that could set up you and your whole Family. We have a considerable wager now depending, Spada is to fast thirty-six hours and the Secretary twelve. They are then to start together on a course of roast Beef. I have laid on Spada, but the majority of those who are acquainted with the abilities of these two gentlemen are clear that I shall lose. You will hear of a snub We have given Sir P. Parker. I have sent the General [Washington] a relation of it. I assure you it was hot business. My two Aide de Camps Byrd and Morris stand fire divinely. Upon my Soul they are spirited lads. I must now entreat, my Mr. Paymaster that you will assist Capt. [James] Grier of Thompson's [Rifle] Battalion in unravelling accounts of the men of the different Regiments who composed my Bodyguards, as the great Mr. Ballard used to call them. If you don't assist I must [ask] Whitcombe. Adieu, mon cher Ami. My love to [Washington aide-de-camp Stephen] Moylen and [Col. Jonathan] Brewer who I hope informs himself of the state of my mare. When she is able to travel let her be brought to Philadelphia. Where is my Dog Cast and little sticky, and don't let 'em be lost.
Responding to the outbreak of the Revolution, on June 14, 1775, the Continental Congress named George Washington Commander in Chief of the new Continental Army. One of the major generals appointed to serve under Washington was Charles Lee, an experienced English officer who had taken up residence in Virginia. Lee was widely respected in the colonies for his military reputation, and his military advice and direction were highly sought after in the first years of the conflict. After serving on the siege lines outside Boston, he provided aid in the development of the defenses of Newport, Rhode Island; began the defenses of New York; and was later reassigned to the southern department, where his most significant contribution came in the defense of Charleston, South Carolina against the British assault.
The British organized their expedition against the Carolinas in early 1776, employing significant land and sea forces as they hoped to quickly knock the southern colonies out of the war. Arriving in Charleston in early June, British troops, commanded by General Henry Clinton and Admiral Sir Peter Parker, landed near Sullivan's Island where Colonel William Moultrie commanded a partly-constructed fort, done in preparation for a joint naval bombardment and land assault. General Lee, who had overall command, provided supervision and strategy. The British land attack took place on June 28, 1776, and was frustrated when the channel was found to be too deep to wade, and the American defenses prevented an amphibious landing. The naval bombardment also had little effect due to the sandy soil and the spongy nature of the palmetto logs used in the fort's construction. Well-aimed cannon fire by the colonial defenders wrought significant damage to the British fleet, which withdrew after a day's bombardment. The British went back to New York and did not return to South Carolina until 1780.
The Battle of Sullivan's Island was a decisive American victory and ultimately revived the American fighting spirit. It was also the first time during the Revolution that American troops had successfully defended against a British sea and land invasion. The pride of victory that resulted proved a strong impetus for more Americans to support the imminent break from Great Britain, and was especially savored because the victory was achieved against strong odds.
Lee conveyed news of the American victory at Sullivan's Island to Congress in a letter to John Hancock of July 2, 1776. A day later, Lee wrote Palfrey, who was in Philadelphia, with further confirmation of the victory, humorously referring to it as a "snub to Sir P[eter]. Parker," Admiral of the British fleet. These two letters from Lee to Palfrey likely arrived together on July 19. Upon receipt, Hancock wrote Washington saying he had just received word of the victory "this moment" from Lee, also enclosing a copy of the letter. Additionally, he specifically references the letter he wrote to General Washington on July 19, thus apparently dating this notation to that day or immediately thereafter.
The letter is docketed as received "Charlestown, June 3, 1776," but this must be a clerical error. According to Lee's papers, he did not arrive there until June 8 at the earliest, and addressed no other letters to Palfrey that month. It's clear that, given Hancock's and Lee's references to the victory, the letter was actually received on July 3, 1776.
According to our research, only one other Hancock letter from July 1776 has ever been offered at auction, and none from this historic date. A true rarity for collectors of early Americana and the Founding Fathers.
Condition: Flattened folds and scattered, minor stains, wax seal torn away with some paper loss, small tear in left margin from seal affecting one letter, slight ink corrosion affecting two words, some edgewear.
References: Bunbury, ed., The Lee Papers, Vol. 5, 1776-1778, 1872-1875.
Provenance: Property of A Distinguished American Collector From The Pacific Northwest
Auction Info
2023 July 8 Historical Platinum Signature® Auction #6275 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
July, 2023
8th
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