Lot 658
1778 Valley Forge Letter From Washington's Personal Secretary, Robert H. Harrison. Autograph letter signed ("Rob: H: Harrison"), 1 page, 10¼ x 8¼ in (Valley Forge), Mar. 3, 1778. Letter is silked, with repairs to seal tears. Addressed on verso to Col. Clement Biddle, who was commissary general of forage: "His Excellency requests that you will transport the inclosed [not present] immediately thro the channel of the Stationary __. He would have sent it to Col. ____but apprehended he might not be acquainted with them." Ironically, the letter is written on laid paper with a British watermark: a cartouche topped by a crown and enclosing a seated figure of Britannia. Lt. Colonel Robert H. Harrison (1745-90) was a Maryland jurist who served as Washington's aide-de-camp in 1775, then became his military secretary from 1776 to 1781. He served as the Chief Justice of the General Court of Maryland from 1781 to 1789, but when Washington nominated him to serve on the United States Supreme Court, he declined to serve for health reasons, even though he was confirmed by the United States Senate.
Estimated Value $700 - 900.
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| Realized $1,110 |
