Beschreibung:

REVOLUTIONARY WAR]. MORRILL, JUDAH HACKETT, Continental Soldier. Three letters, written and signed for Morrill by other individuals, two to his mother ("Loving mother") the third to his Uncle and Aunt, written from three different encampments of the Continental Army: "Stil Water," "Valley Forge" [Pennsylvania], "Camp, Verplank's Point" [New York], 1777-1782. Together 3 pieces, each one page, folio, verso of the Valley Forge letter addressed: "To the Widdow hannah Morrill in Salisbury this with care," some wear at folds, the 1782 letter spotted and with a few tears, the other two in good condition. A CONTINENTAL SOLDIER OF THE LINE, FIGHTING THE RED-COATS AT FORT SCHUYLER, SURVIVING VALLEY FORGE AND WAITING FOR NEWS OF THE TREATY A remarkable trio of letters, each in a different hand, from Morrill, an ordinary enlisted Continental soldier from Salisbury, a small village north of Newburyport, Massachusetts. From the evidence of his letters, Morrill was illiterate; in order to correspond with his mother, "the widdow hannah Morrill," he dictated all three letters to different compatriots, two of whom must be judged semi-literate themselves. Little is known of Morrill, his unit, rank, or service, other than what may be deduced from these letters, which are all that survive from Morrill's war correspondence. They provide a vivid glipmse of the war through a soldier's eyes at three crucial points in the revolution. In the earliest letter Morrill gives a succint description of the key seige of Fort Schulyer (formerly Stanwix), a diversion mounted by the British General St. Leger as part of Burgoyne's larger offensive (the Battle of Saratoga, in which Morrill probably participated, was fought a few weeks after his letter). In the letter of June 1778, Morrill is at Valley Forge, where he had probably been encamped with Washington's main army during that well-known winter ordeal. It appears he is recovering from the small-pox, which killed more Continentals than any other disease. The third letter, from the Hudson River ferry station of Verplank's Point, tells of parleys between British and American officers, while both sides wait nervously for the signing of the Treaty of Peace. "Stil Water" [on the Hudson, below Saratoga, New York], 3 September 1777: "Loving Mother thes Lines Comes With my Duty to you now [know] that I am Well and in a Good State of Helth at present and blessed be God for it Hobing [Hoping] that thes Lines Will fint [find] you as Well as they Leve me i Have no news to Right [write] att present I have bin to fort Schuyler for six Weeks We Hat Sege [siege] for twenty days [August 2-23] til We Got A Bonponement [postponement, actually, the British force withdrew as Gen. Arnold's reinforcements approached] and then we trove them for Sixty Miles as far as Swago [Oswego] and tuck [took] all their Paggage [baggage] Consisting of Four mortars one feld pece [fieldpiece] and a puntance [an abundance] of Military stores and a puntance of Clothan and outer stores....We have reson to expat [expect] that thay will Not Com that Way Agin and we have Reson to think that We shall Give tham A Good Trubing [drubbing]....We got here yestay [yesterday] Remember my Love to Prother [brother] and Sister and to Grantmother Mr. osgoods folks and to all frints [friends] I think Vary Hard that you have Not sent me a Letter Sent me a Letter as soun [soon] as you Can and sent me Word A pout [about] that orter [order] that was sent Conserning the Douns [Town's] pounty [bounty] that i paute [paid] of John Wilson ...Every Doun Gives thare Men Nams [names] and the Number of them and so thare [is] no tanger [danger] but that you Can git the Monney from the Doun for it will be a Grate Penefit [benefit] to the Doun...." "Valley Forge," 5 June 1778: "Loving mother thes Lines Comes with my Duty to you hoping that thes[s] Lines will find you as thay Leve me thru the Goodness of God : Remember my Love my Prother [Brother] and Sister and poth [both] my Gran