Date: Fri 28-Aug-1998

Publication: Ant

Author: JUDYC

Quick Words:

Remember

Full Text:

Remember When Remembers

By Rita Easton

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. -- More than 340 manuscripts, documents and letters devoted

entirely to the American Revolutionary War era were sold on July 18 by

Remember When Auctions, Inc.

President and auctioneer Jim Smith, who clearly enjoys this window to

historical events, reported a "surprisingly large attendance." Normally, in

this type of specialty auction, the majority of bidders are on the telephone

or fax. There were about 60 people in the hall. There were probably about 15

or 20 items that brought between $10,000 and $41,000 each.

Two consignors participated, a departure from the usual 100 or 200. One-half

of the lots offered had been the property of John Langdon, a Portsmouth, N.H.

statesman. The other half, consigned by an anonymous institution, consisted of

the personal papers of Cesar Rodney of Delaware, one of the signers of the

Declaration of Independence.

Garnering the top bid of the day, a George Washington letter to Cesar Rodney,

the content describing the enemy marching toward Philadelphia, written as

Washington commanded the Delaware troops, was estimated at $10/12,500 but

brought $41,000 from an historical society located in Delaware.

A letter written by Joseph Warren, who commanded the troops at Bunker Hill

where he died, ("...actually `Breed's Hill'," said Smith, "because it was dark

and they couldn't find Bunker Hill so they fought at Breed's Hill"), was

composed five days before Warren's demise and three days after he was made

Major General of Militia.

The letter included the quotable "maintain that character for humanity which

we would wish may ever be the characteristic of Americans." and fetched a ripe

$38,000. It was purchased for a private collection and is currently on display

at Kaller's America Gallery at Macy's, New York City.

A letter dated February 1, 1776, from John Hancock to General Smallwood,

regarding the sending of militia to suppress the Tories in Maryland, was

written while Hancock was the President of the Continental Congress. Estimated

at $6/8,000, it brought $14,500.

A third-person letter, signed by Thomas Jefferson in the text, writing on the

subject of "canine madness" estimated at $5/7,500, brought $20,500 from an

institution. The text included "thank you for your learned and ingenious

dissertation on canine madness. I had not before heard about the method of

prevention by the use of water as mentioned on page 103, the theory of which

appears probable and the application easy. I have lately had a letter from

Algiers informing me of the cure...by a very strong use of mercury." Smith

speculated that the "madness" was later cured with the discovery of the rabies

inoculation.

An unsigned letter, written from New York seven days after the battle of

Lexington and Concord, on the subject of the raising of troops in New York to

send to Boston, estimated at $1,5/2,500, realized $10,000; an autographed

draft of a letter by William Whipple, writing of George Washington crossing

the Delaware, stating "he will end the campaign gloriously" (est $4/6,000),

made $10,000.

An entire series of letters from Whipple and Robert Morris were offered. Both

signers of the Declaration of Independence, Morris was known as the financier

of the American Revolution. The letters were on the subject of the building of

two of John Paul Jones' ships, The Ranger, and The America, and requested that

John Langdon learn to get along with Jones. Also among them was a complaining

letter from Morris to Langdon which said, in part, "[John Paul Jones] informs

me that the deck gun of The America has been partly laid with short plank,"

estimated at $5/7,000, it went at $6,500.

Woodbury Langdon of New Hampshire, whose major claim to fame was, Smith noted,

"that he didn't make the decision to take the American side until he was ure

it would win," was the brother of influential John Langdon. Woodbury wrote a

letter to John in 1789 after the war was won, giving his suggestions as to

what the Supreme Court should be like, with nine judges, which was estimated

at $5/700, but reached $7,500.

John Trumbull, one of the best-known painters of the period was represented by

a letter lamenting hard times in his career and the difficulty in getting paid

for his work. The missive was estimated at $1,250/1,750 but went out at

$3,800. Approximately a dozen George Washington autograph letters sold between

$15,000 and $41,000. A letter written by Thomas Sumpter, a South Carolina

general in the Revolution, for whom Fort Sumpter is named, stated "ten of my

men were bayonetted for lack of a means of defending themselves." The missive,

in relatively rough shape, estimated at $1,500, brought $6,000.

"I'm not necessarily weepy-eyed," said Smith, "but there were some really fine

things in here if you're into the history of the country."

Prices quoted do not reflect a required ten percent premium.