Connecticut Revolutionary War Payment Orders and Receipts

35 documents (of which 6 are printed), signed by fiscal officials and members of the Committee of the Pay Table, including Oliver Wolcott Jr, Hartford, 1775 – 1789

Generally in very good condition with only an occasional small stain, a few with cancellation holes affecting a few words, many formerly folded with minor fold tears. For more details see inventory on sothebys.com
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A fine collection of documents portraying the manner in which soldiers and supplies were paid for in the newly-formed state of Connecticut, called the “Provision State” by General Washington. Among the signers of these documents is Oliver Wolcott Jr. (1760-1830), who later became the second Secretary of the U.S. Treasury. One of the soldiers owed back pay (8,9) was Cash Africa, a free African American citizen of Litchfield who joined the army in the early months of the war, but was forcibly discharged in November 1775.

The documents are as follows:

1. Chauncey Whittelsey, Commissary. Receipt signed, 1 page (6 ¼ x 7 ¾ in.), no place, 19 May 1779, £1200 “to improve in purchasing Cloathing etc. for use of this State. Docketed on verso. Chauncey Whittelsey (1746-1812), pastor of the First church of New Haven, purchasing agent for the Continental Army in CT.

2. John Jeffery. Order, signed, to deliver 10 bushels salt for Jeremiah Wadsworth, 1 page (4 ½ x 7 ½ in.), Hartford, 20 January 1778, countersigned by Caleb Turner, John Calder. Docketed.

3. Joshua Stanton, Captain. Receipt signed, 1 page (6 5/8 x 8 ½ in.), no place [Hartford], 6 September 1779, for £800 to improve pay “of my company in Col [Matthew] Mead Regt of Infantry”. Docketed.

4. Thomas Seymour. Order to pay signed, 1 page (4 ¾ x 8 1/8 in.), [Hartford], 15 February 1777, for the purchase of Saltpetre and its transport, countersigned John Laurence, Treasury, and text probably in his hand.

5. Colony of Connecticut, John Lawrence, Treasurer, Elisha Sheldon, assistant. Order to pay John Collins “for carrying and reading the governor’s notification … to appear at the special assembly … at New Haven … 2 day of March 1775, 2 pages (7 ½ x 6 ½ in.), Litchfield, February – May 1775, signed by Sheldon twice, and by John Collins.

6. State of Connecticut. Printed check accomplished in manuscript, signed by Fenn Wadsworth and Oliver Wolcott Junior, 1 page (5 ¼ x 6 ½ in.), [Hartford], 15 August 1782, on behalf of Captain Nathaniel Edwards, docketed.

7.  I[saac] Sherman, Lieutenant Colonel. Autograph certification, signed twice, 1 page (7 ½ x 7 ¾ in.), Danbury, 10 April 1781, attesting that Brister Caesar served in the “late eighth conecticut regiment as a soldier before the first day January 1780.” Including order to pay Caesar with his “mark,” docketed.

8. State of Connecticut. Printed IOU, signed by John Lawrence, Treasurer,  1 page (4 x 7 ½ in.), Treasury Office, 1 June 1780, owing back pay to Cash Africa for his service in the Connecticut Line of the Continental Army; cancellation hole in center, formerly folded, a few fold tears and stains, top and left edge frayed affecting woodcut border.

9. Albert Chapman, Major, Commander. “Return of Men’s Names in the 5^th Connecticut Regiment to Receive State Stores — June 17^th 1780,” signed by Chapman and Samuel Waugh, Sergeant, 1 page (6 ¼ x 7 ½ in.). Includes the name of Cash Africa.

10.  John Lawrence, Treasurer; Ezra Williams; C. Ellsworth. Order to pay Stephen Yale for purchase of saltpetre, 1 page (4 ½ x 8 ¼ in.), Hartford, 5 June 1776, docketed.

11.  John Lawrence, Treasurer; Ezra Williams, C. Ellsworth. Order to pay Col. John Douglas “toward raising a regiment of foot for the continental service,” [Hartford], 23 January 1776, docketed, receipt signed by Douglas on verso.

12.  State of Connecticut. Pay order to Jesse Williams, 1 page (6 ¾ x 8 ¼ in.), Hartford, 2 September 1783, for a blanket furnished to Augustus Storrs, with receipt signed by Storrs and Jacob B. Barley, docketed on verso.

13.  Moses Bicknall; Josiah Taylor. Receipt, signed, 1 page (3 ¾ x 7 7/8 in.) for the blanket recorded in (12), Mansfield, 6 July 1781; small stain.

14.  Selectmen of Mansfield; Con Southworth, John Salter, et al. Pay order to Josiah Williams for the blanket furnished to Augustus Storrs recorded in (12), 1 page (2 7/8 x 7 in.), Mansfield, 6 May 1783, with appraisal of the blanket on verso, signed by Josiah Taylor and Moses Bicknall, 20 June 1781; fold-tears, small stains.

15.  John Lawrence, Treasurer; C. Ellsworth. Pay order for James Porter for “victualling sundry persons transporting continental powder,” 1 page (6 ¾ x 8 3/8 in.), Hartford, 7 June 1776, signed by Ellsworth, docketed, receipt signed by Porter on verso.

16.  John Lawrence, Treasurer; Ezra Williams. Pay order to Peter Curtiss “for enlisting a company in one of the 2 battalions”, 1 page (6 ¾ x 8 1/8 in.), Hartford, 13 June 1777, docketed, receipt signed by Solomon Caroles.

17.  John Lawrence, Treasurer; William Pethin; Ezra Williams. Pay order to Captain Ebenezer Sumner for William Mitchel in the 4^th company 2^nd regiment, 1 page (5 7/8 x 8 1/8 in.), Hartford, 24 January 1776, docketed, receipt signed by Sumner on verso.

18.  John Lawrence, Treasurer; Thomas Seymour; Chr. Ellsworth. Pay order to Isaac Doolittle & Jeremiah Atwater for manufacturing gun powder, 1 page (8 ½ x 8 ½ in.), Hartford, 6 February 1777, docketed, receipt on verso signed by Doolittle.

19.  John Lawrence, Treasurer; Oliver Wolcott jr; Fenn Wadsworth. Pay order to Ebenezer Doolittle for service in the Continental Army, 1 page (6 ½ x 8 1/4 in.), Pay Table Office, 1 July 1783, signed by Wolcott and Wadsworth, docketed.

20.  John Davis. Return of Waggons &c under the Command of Major John Davis, January 2, 1782, 1 page (5 3/8 x 12 ¾ in.), docketed.

21.  David Smith, Major. Certification of men who served in First and 8^th Connecticut Regiments with order to pay, 1 page (13 x 8 in.), Camp Highlands [CT], 1 January 1781, docketing.

22.  John Lawrence, Treasurer; C. Ellsworth. Pay order to John Kingsbury & Ebenezer Colburn for saltpetre, 1 page (6 ½ x 8 1/8 in.), Hartford, 6 July 1776, signed by Ellsworth, docketed, receipt on verso signed by John Kingsbery[sic].

23.  Fisher Gay, merchant. Invoice to Captain Jeremiah Wadsworth, for purchase of flour, 1 page (10 3/8 x 8 3/8 in.), Farmington [CT], 29 April 1776, signed by Gay, docketed.

24.  Titus Hosmer (1736-1780). Pay order, signed, 1 page (6 3/8 x 7 5/8 in.), Middletown [CT], 10 June 1776, to John Lawrence, treasurer, on behalf of Andrew Johonnot, for the Lead Mine Committee,  calculations on verso.

25.  Asher Squier. Receipt, signed,  for shirts, stockings and shoes from the Selectmen of Durham by Jeremiah Butler, 1 page (2 ¼ x 8 ¼ in.), Camp Highlands [CT], 27 December 1780; shaved at bottom.

26.  Miles Cook. Receipt, signed, for shirts, stocking, shoes, mittens from the Selectmen of Durham by Jeremiah Butler, 1 page (2 ¼ x 8 ½ in.), Camp Highlands, 17 December 1780.

27.  John Lawrence, Treasurer; C. Ellsworth. Pay order, signed by Ellsworth, to Thaddeus Brounson, for saltpetre, 1 page (6 ½ x 8 ¼ in.), Hartford, 2 July 1776, docketed, receipt on verso signed by Amos Benedict.

28.  Ezra Williams; J. Moot, for the Pay Table. Pay Order on behalf of Captain John Dixson, 1 page (6 1/8 x 8 ¼ in.),  to John Lawrence, docketed, receipt on verso signed by Dixson.

29.  Ezra Williams; J. Moot. Pay Order to Truman Judd for wages due Captain Trewbridge, 1 page (6 x 8 ½ in.), no place, 10 June 1777, to John Lawrence, docketed, receipt on verso signed by Judd.

30.  J. Moot; Ezra Williams. Pay order to Abel Dye, 1 page (6 ½ x 7 ½ in.), no place, 13 June 1777, to John Lawrence, docketed, receipt on verso signed by Dye.

31.  Hez[ikia]h Hubbell. Printed receipt accomplished in manuscript, signed, 1 page (6 ½ x 6 ¾ in.), Hartford, 18 October 1782, for balances due to Daniel Burr, docketed.

32.  John Lawrence, Treasurer. Receipt, signed by a secretary, 1 page (6 ½ x 7 5/8 in.), [Hartford], 26 February 1779, for payment by Select Men of Wallingford for arms received by said town.

33.  Oliver Wolcott Jr; William Moseley. Printed Pay Order accomplished in manuscript, signed, to Ralph Pomeroy, 1 page (4 3/8 x 6 ½ in.), Pay Table Office, Hartford, 18 February 1782; mounted on paper.

34.  William Moseley; Fenn Wadsworth. Printed Pay Order accomplished in manuscript, signed, 1 page (3 3/8 x 5 7/8 in.), Pay Table Office, Harford, 26 December 1781, docketed on verso, signed by Pomeroy on verso; formerly folded.

35.  Oliver Wolcott Jr, Comptroller. Printed Order to Pay accomplished in manuscript, signed, 1 page (4 ¼ x 6 ¼ in.), Comptroller’s Office, 9 April 1789, on behalf of Thomas Williams, cancellation hole affecting a few words, docketed on verso.