Bear

He must not have been a very bright fella. I can't wait to get my book. 35$ at Amazon :jumping:

Hello Rick, I just ordered a book that list most(90%) of the officers that served in the revolution. I'm hoping that some of these guys will be in it. Here is a little note on the 1778. I think that when Benedict Arnold turned the Congress made all officers take the oath again. I'll have to check the dates on when this took place. thanks, barry

Interesting note: The 1776 commission list Mass. as a colony, while 1777/8 list Mass. as a state. Massachusetts officially became a state on 2/6/1788.

This is a military commission from the American Revolution 1778(1775-1783). STATE of MASSACHUSETTS BAY The Major Part of the COUNCIL of Massachusetts-Bay, in New England. To Ephraim Lane Greetings. You being appointed First Lieutenant of a Company of Matrosses commanded by Seth Lane in the town of Norton in the Brigade of Militia in the County of ? Where of George Godfrey Esq. Is Brigadier. By Virtue of the Power Vested in us, We do by Presents, (reposing Special Trust and Confidence in your Loyalty, Courage, and good Conduct,) Commission you accordingly. You are therefore carefully and diligently to discharge the Duty of a First Lieutenant in leading, ordering, and exercising said Regiment in Arms, both Inferior Officers and Soldiers; and to keep them in good Order and Discipline: And they are hereby commanded to obey you as their First Lieutenant and you are yourself, to observe and follow such Orders and Instructions as you shall from Time to Time receive from The Major part of the Council or your Superior Officers. GIVEN under our Hands, and the Seal of the said State, at Boston the Thirtieth Day of July in the Year of Our Lord, 1778. By the Command of the Major-Part of the Council. (Signed) John Avery

This is a military commission from the American Revolution 1777(1775-1783). STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS BAY The Major Part of the COUNCIL of Massachusetts-Bay, in New England. To Edward Proctor Greeting. You being appointed First Major of the Boston Regiment Where of Jabez Hatch Esq. is Colonel. By Virtue of the Power Vested in us, We do by Presents, (reposing Special Trust and Confidence in your Loyalty, Courage, and good Conduct,) Commission you accordingly. You are therefore carefully and diligently to discharge the Duty of a First Major in leading, ordering, and exercising said Regiment in Arms, both Inferior Officers and Soldiers; and to keep them in good Order and Discipline: And they are hereby commanded to obey you as their First Major and you are yourself, to observe and follow such Orders and Instructions as you shall from Time to Time receive from The Major part of the Council or your Superior Officers. GIVEN under our Hands, and the Seal of the said State, at Boston the Eighteenth Day of July in the Year of Our Lord, 1777. By the Command of the Major-Part of the Council. (Signed) John Avery

This is a military commission from the American Revolution 1776(1775-1783). COLONY of MASSACHUSETTS BAY The Major Part of the COUNCIL of Massachusetts-Bay, in New England. To Mr. Seth Phillips Greeting. You being appointed Ensign of a Company of Militia in the First Battalion now being raised in the countys [sic] of Plymouth & Bristol where of Simeon Cary Esq. is Colonel & of which Company Freedom Chamberlain is Captain for reinforcing the Continental Army of New York. By Virtue of the Power Vested in us, We do by Presents, (reposing Special Trust and Confidence in your Loyalty, Courage, and good Conduct,) Commission you accordingly. You are therefore carefully and diligently to discharge the Duty of a Ensign in leading, ordering, and exercising said Regiment in Arms, both Inferior Officers and Soldiers; and to keep them in good Order and Discipline: And they are hereby commanded to obey you as their Ensign and you are yourself, to observe and follow such Orders and Instructions as you shall from Time to Time receive from The Major part of the Council or your Superior Officers. GIVEN under our Hands, and the Seal of the said State, at Watertown the Eighth Day of July in the Year of Our Lord, 1776. By the Command of the Major-Part of the Council. (Signed) John Lowell

I thought I'd post all my Massachusetts military commissions into one thread. During the American Revolution the years (1775-1778) were fought mainly in the North while (1779-1781) were fought mainly in the South. All I need is one from 1775. thanks, barry This is a military commission from the French & Indian War(1754-1763). FRANCIS BERNARD, Esq; Captain General and Governor in Chief, in and over His Majesty?s Province of the Massachusetts-Bay in New-England, and Vice-Admiral of the Same (Signed) Fra Bernard To Edmund Little Gent. Greeting. By Virtue of the Power and Authority in and His Majesty?s Royal Commission to Me granted to be Captain General, over this His Majesty?s Province of the Massachusetts Bay aforesaid I do by those Presents(reposing especial Trust and Confidence in your Loyalty Courage and good Conduct) constitute and appoint You the Said Edmund Little to be Captain of the 6th military Company in the town of Newbury, in the Regiment of Militia in the County of Essex, where of Joseph Gerrish is Colonel. You are therefore carefully and diligently to discharge the Duty of a Captain in leading, ordering and exercising said Company in Arms both inferior Officers and Soldiers and to keep them in good Order and Discipline and they are hereby commanded to obey you as their Captain and you are your self observe and follow such Orders and Instructions as you shall from time to time receive from your Colonel, or other your Officers according to military Rules and Discipline, to the Trust reposed in you. Given under my Hand and Seal at Arms at Boston, the twenty fifth Day of February In the Second Year of the Reign of His Majesty King GEORGE the THIRD, Annoq; Domini, 1762 By His Excellency?s Command, (Signed) John Cotton

Hello Paul, The signature is also a copy. A letter such as this by Washington would be way above my pay grade. thanks, barry

A lot of digging & searching :D

Letters such as this one would have been copied by a secretary/staff and then sent to various newspapers at the time for printing.

This is a contemporary copy of George Washington's letter to the French Minister Adet. On January 1, 1796, the French Minister gave Washington a tricolor flag of the new Republic. This is what George Washington had to say about the event. thanks, barry ?Born, sir, in a land of liberty; having early learned its value; having engaged in a perilous conflict to defend it; having, in a word, devoted the best of my life to secure it, a permanent establishment in my own country; my anxious recollections, my sympathetick feelings, and my best wishes are irresistibly excited?I see an oppressed nation unfurl the banners of freedom. But above all, the events of the French revolution have produced the deepest solicitude as well as the highest admiration. To call your nation?were to pronounce but common praise. Wonderful People!...I rejoice that the product of your toils and of your immense sacrifice is approaching. I rejoice that the interesting revolutionary movements of so many years have issued in the formation of a constitution designed to give permission to the great object for which you have so long embraced with enthusiasm; liberty, of which you have been the invisible defenders, now finds an asylum in the?of a regularly organized government; a government, which being formed to secure the happiness of the French people, corresponds with the ardent wishes of my heart, which it gratifies the pride of every citizen of the United States, but its resemblance of their own. On these glorious events accept, Sir, my sincere congratulations. In delivering to you these sentiments, I express not my own feelings only, but those of my fellow citizens, in relation to the commencement, the prayer, and the issue of the French revolution; and they will cordially join with me in purest wishes to the Supreme being. That the citizens of your sister republic, our magnanimous allies, may soon enjoy, in peace, that Liberty which they have purchased at so great a price, and all the happiness which liberty can bestow??

Here is another pick.

Colonel Charles Webb from Connecticut is also listed.

Hello, Here is a nice website that list the soldiers who wintered Valley Forge by regiment. Valley Forge Legacy http://www.valleyforgemusterroll.org/ thanks, barry It seems that Colonel Moses Hazen from Canada was at Valley Forge. However they don't seem to a list for his Canadian regiment. If Hazen was there I imagine that Jean Baptiste Dupere was also at Valley Forge. Moses Hazen was promoted to Brig. General at Yorktown in 1781.

A surgeon would be a very pleasant surprise. :jumping:

I did find a Seth Phillips that served throughout the war as a Private in the 7th Mass. under LtCol. John Brooks. Don't worry, the thick scary salad-like green mold is just penicillin. :cheers:

I checked all my sources and nothing. Here is another website that list Mass. Rev. soldiers. http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ma/state/revwar/p1.html

Thanks Rick I'll check genealogy.com for more rev. info. and see what comes up. thanks, barry

The document was signed in Watertown and not Boston. The British had just evacuated Boston in March and maybe the government hadn't made it back to the capital. I think a small pox epidemic had also infested Boston around this time.

Hello, I just picked up this military commission for Ensign Seth Phillips signed just 4 days after the Declaration of Independence. I still need to do some research on Seth. To Mr. Seth Phillips Greetings. You being appointed Ensign of a Company of Militia in the First Battalion now being raised in the countys of Plymouth & Bristol where of Simeon Cary Esq. is Colonel & of which Company Freedom Chamberlain is Captain for reinforcing the Continental Army of New York ? You are therefore carefully and directly to discharge the Duty of an Ensign in leading ordering, and exercising said Company is Arms, both Inferior Officers and Soldiers; and to keep them in good Order and Discipline: And they are hereby commanded to obey you as their Ensign, and you are yourself, to observe and following such orders and instructions as you shall from time to time received from you superior officers. Signed by all fifteen members of the Council of the Massachusetts Bay The committee signs from top to bottom B. Greenleaf W Spooner Caleb Cushing J. Winthrop T. Cushing S. Holten Jabez Fitch B. White Wm. Phillips Henry Ganner [?]Gardiner John Taylor D. Hopkins Jos. Cushing Dan Davis D. Sewall Here is my other Mass Comm for a comparision http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=9845 thanks, barry

I've been looking through my books and found a surveyor-engineer. A surveyor might tend to wear civilian clothes. Cap looks similar The Apogee of the Empire Wagrom by Hourtoulle & Jouineau page 59 Keep Looking :cheers:

Maybe a naval officer. :speechless:

Timothy Matlack wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_Matlack At the outset of the American Revolutionary War, Matlack served as clerk to Charles Thomson, the Secretary of the Continental Congress. In this role, he engrossed the copy of Declaration of Independence that was signed by the Continental Congress and is now on display in the National Archives. Matlack is also known to have penned in 1775 George Washington's commission as Commander-in-Chief of the Army of the United Colonies (Continental Army), among other important documents of the time.

Hello, I just picked up this miniature portrait. The sitter is wearing what seems to be civilian cloths with his military cap. Maybe an officer between wars. During this period officers would go on extended leave when the fighting stopped, and when war came they would be called back to duty. I'm not sure of the date but I'd guess 1800-1820. thanks, barry

Here is another I just got off Ebay. Fantastic Cap :jumping: