IMPORTANT MAJOR GENERAL JOHN THOMAS QUEEN ANNE WALNUT AND MAPLE BEDSTEAD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, CIRCA 1750

Together with Toile bed hangings, Oberkampf, Jouy, France, circa 1770-1810, comprised of two panels, a back panel, three bed tester panels, three skirt aprons and bed cover with printed label, MANUFACTURE DE SDM OBERKAMPF.

The bedstead: Major General John Thomas (1724-1776), Kingston, Massachusetts;
descended through the Thomas family and sold to Israel Sack Inc. by Thomas' great-grandson;
Mr. and Mrs. Walter B. Robb of Buffalo, New York;
Israel Sack Inc., New York.
The bed hangings: Mrs. George Maurice Morris, Washington, DC;
Christie's, New York, The Contents of the Lindens: The Collection of the Late Mrs. George Maurice Morris, Important American Furniture and Decorative Arts, January 22, 1983, lot 194.

Edith Gaines, "The Robb Collection of American Furniture: Part I", The Magazine Antiques, September 1967, p. 324;
Israel Sack Inc., American Antiques from Israel Sack Collections, Vol. 5, (Washington: Highland House Publishers Inc., 1974), pp. 1216-7, P4153;
Israel Sack Inc., American Antiques from Israel Sack Collections, Vol. 6, (Washington: Highland House Publishers Inc., 1979), p. 12, P4153.

Fine condition, tester appears to be replaced.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

See Sothebys.com for an additional illustration of this lot.

John Thomas was born in Marshfield, Massachusetts. As a young man he studied medicine with Doctor Tufts in Medford before beginning his own practice in Kingston. He was married to Hannah Thomas with whom he had two sons and a daughter. During King George's War in 1746 he was appointed surgeon to a regiment bound for Annapolis Royal in Nova Scotia. He later served as surgeon in General William Shirley's regiment. Liking military service, in 1747 he traded his post as surgeon for that of a lieutenant. By the time of the French and Indian War he had risen to colonel in the militia or provincial ranks. He served in Nova Scotia again in 1759. In 1760, General Jeffrey Amherst put him at the head of a division during the attack and capture of Montreal. After the war he returned to his practice at Kingston.

In the period leading up to open war, Thomas recruited a regiment of volunteers (2nd Massachusetts Regiment) in Plymouth County and served as their colonel. In February 1775 the state assembly named him a brigadier general. He led his troops to the siege in Boston, and in June, the Congress appointed him a brigadier in the Continental Army.

On the night of March 4, 1776 he led his division to fortify the Dorchester Heights overlooking the south harbor at Boston using cannon that Henry Knox brought from Fort Ticonderoga. From this position he threatened the British fleet and the British were forced to withdraw, evacuating Boston on March 17. After this accomplishment Thomas was named a major general.

After General Richard Montgomery was killed, Thomas was assigned to command in Canada and take charge of the Canadian invasion. He joined the army besieging Quebec on May 1, but found a disaster. The forces here numbered less than 1,000. Besides its walls, the city had more defenders than that. Over 300 of his men were already overdue for discharge from their enlistment, and smallpox was raging through the force.

He immediately sent the sick men to Three Rivers and began a withdrawal with the rest. Tragically, General Thomas died of smallpox on June 2, 1776 during the retreat up the Richelieu River near Chambly. By June 18 the Continental Army had abandoned Canada.¹

¹ Charles Coffin, The Life and Services of Major General John Thomas, (New-York: Egbert, Hovey & King, 1844)