First US president drew hope from citizens’ response to devastating British attack in handwritten letterA letter written by George Washington, providing rare understanding of his confidence in regular Americans to fight and win the revolutionary war, has been put up for sale on Presidents Day.The first US president penned the document as leader of the Continental Army in 1777, shortly after British forces ransacked a vital military supply depot in Danbury, Connecticut – a devastating action that fellow general Samuel Parsons wrote him was “an event very alarming to the country”. Continue reading...
A rare 1777 letter by George Washington, praising local militias' attacks on British forces during the Revolutionary War, is up for auction on Presidents Day. The letter, which highlights Washington's confidence in citizens' ability to fight and win the war, was recently discovered in a private collection. It also references his smallpox inoculation campaign and is expected to sell for $150,000. This document offers unique insights into Washington's optimism and reliance on citizen militias, and it is part of a growing market for historically significant documents.
