Lot 287

Previous image preload Next image preload
Back to catalog
Lot 287
image_0 image_1 image_2 image_3 image_4 image_5
1779 Dorchester Heights, Massachusetts, Lemuel Clap Troop Muster and Signed Payroll
1779 Dorchester Heights, Massachusetts, Lemuel Clap Troop Muster and Signed Payroll
image_0 image_1 image_2 image_3 image_4 image_5
Description:

1779 Dorchester Heights, Massachusetts, Lemuel Clap Troop Muster and Signed Payroll

Super Rare Received Payment Sheet with 38 Signatures; Signed Payroll dated Feb 26, 1780 for months November, December, and January of 1779; Muster dated for March 9, 1780 for the month of November 1779, which is also signed by Captain Lemuel Clap at bottom. On two separate sheets, 7.75" x 12.25", and 15.5" x 12.25".

Fantastic original documents dated November 1779, Dorchester, Massachusetts: a muster roll of Captain Lemuel Clap's regiment, under Major Nathan Heath, engaged in the service of the United States, Lemuel Clap commanding, on laid paper, listing the men of the regiment by name and rank.  Some well-known names are the Clap, Bird, and Withington families, all who fought at the Battle of Dorchester Heights during the siege of Boston. A fine document, unsigned, from the letters and papers of Lemuel Clap.

Captain Lemuel Clap was a tanner by trade and a prominent Dorchester resident who invited Colonial troops to camp on his property during the siege of Boston, among them was General George Washington. Lemuel was a Captain in the Revolutionary War, and his company was on duty for several of its first years at Dorchester Heights, Noddle’s Island, and other places near by. The enlistments for this service were short, a few months at a time, and sometimes less, and his company, therefore, often changed its members. Sometimes there were quite a number of the Dorchester Claps in its ranks. He was a tanner by trade, and carried on the business on the old Causeway road, near the corner of what is now Willow court.

The Captain Lemuel Clapp House (1767) is an historic house located at 199 Boston Street, Dorchester, Massachusetts. It is now owned by the Dorchester Historical Society, which opens the house for tours two afternoons per month. A historic house can be a stately home, the birthplace of a famous person, or a house with an interesting history.  Dorchester is the largest neighborhood within the City of Boston located within Suffolk County, Massachusetts. The Fortification of Dorchester Heights was a decisive action early in the American Revolutionary War that precipitated the end of the siege of Boston and the withdrawal of British troops from that city.  Of note:  Most of the Clap family used only one "p" in their last name until William's generation, when they started using two.

On March 4, 1776, troops from the Continental Army under George Washington's command occupied Dorchester Heights, a series of low hills with a commanding view of Boston and its harbor, and mounted powerful cannons there. General William Howe, commander of the British forces occupying the city, considered contesting this act, as the cannon threatened the town and the military ships in the harbor. After a snowstorm prevented execution of his plans, Howe decided instead to withdraw from the city. The British forces, accompanied by Loyalists who had fled to the city during the siege, left the city on March 17 and sailed to Halifax, Nova Scotia.

For Dorchester, hard years loomed in the spring of 1776. The British, cowed by the Patriot cannons bristling along Dorchester Heights, had departed Boston. But the Revolution dragged on. So, too, did Dorchester's part in the conflict. On May 23, 1776, before the Declaration of Independence was completed, Dorchester's Town Meeting voted "that if the Continental Congress should think it best to declare an Independency with Great Britain, we will support them with our lives and fortunes." The town greeted the news of the Declaration of Independence in July 1776 with toasts and "huzzahs," the entire document transcribed "in full on the Town Records." Not all of the town's residents, who numbered 1550 (1515 whites, 35 negroes and mulattoes, and 291 families), embraced the Patriot cause. Still, the Loyalists were few. According to the town records, "it would appear by this, that there were one or more Tories in the town; but the inhabitants were very much united as a body, and had a love of and determination for liberty."

When it came to signing the muster rolls of the Continental Army, Dorchester's men and youths more than did their part. "During the time that the Revolution was going on," notes the History of Dorchester, "the town was continually having meetings to induce men to enlist in the army. They were called upon to go to New York, to Canada, to Rhode Island, Long Island, Peek's Kill, West Point, on secret expeditions." The calls for recruits were constant, and Dorchester "put forth all its energies, and the people sacrificed their comfort and estates." A recruitment bounty of twenty pounds proved an incentive for many Dorchestermen, especially family men. Those who accepted the cash had to serve three years, Dorchester's Town Meeting even having "to borrow money to meet these demands." The town's treasury was drained by the enlistment bounties, and for "many of the most worthy and industrious of the inhabitants it was difficult to obtain the necessaries of life." Equally difficult for local families was the sight of their husbands, sons, and brothers shouldering muskets and tramping off to fight the redcoats of King George III. By January 1777, nearly a third of Dorchester men above the age of 16 had joined Continental regiments. At first, many local soldiers were stationed close to home at various forts around Boston. "Being inhabitants of Dorchester," a soldier wrote, "we went to our own dwelling places and did business at home, except when on duty. We were allowed good provisions, and the duty was generally easy."

That "easy duty" dissolved as the war went on, and more and more local soldiers were sent to the front. And there was no lack of Dorchester men who served with valor and distinction on the battlefields of the Revolution. Lt.. Colonel Samuel Pierce served throughout the war, seeing "blood, mud, and hard duty." He commanded a regiment with neighbor Jonathan Blake serving as the unit's adjutant. Pierce was lauded as "a patriotic man, and did his full share" during the conflict. Another Dorchester soldier, 18-year-old David Clap, Jr., learned firsthand that even such a seemingly mundane task as guarding British prisoners could erupt in bloodshed. "A prisoner," Clap wrote, "one of the British grenadiers, was seen at night by one of our sentinels to be getting pickets that were placed around the fort, and as his orders were to serve them, he ordered the prisoner to desist. After speaking several times without effect, the sentry told him if he persisted in doing so, he would fire. The only answer given was a profane daring of the sentry to fire. He fired, and killed the prisoner on the spot. Some of the other prisoners were so enraged at this, that they threatened to kill the sentry...the officers thought it best not to put him on the main guard again."

As the war raged on, many Dorchester men died in battle, returned home with missing limbs, or were captured. The constant attrition made recruitment efforts harder, as there was not an endless supply of enlistees locally. On June 22, 1780, the Continental Congress passed a law that compelled many Dorchester men to enlist, reenlist, or find someone else to take their place in the ranks: "If any man was drafted who was not of sufficient ability to serve in person, or who did not pass muster, he was to hire some able-bodied man to take his place, or pay a fine of 150 pounds in twenty-four hours."

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

We do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice, unless you inform us otherwise, immediately upon your receipt of invoice***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.


After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 5 business days following receipt of full payment for item.


Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

April 14, 2021 10:30 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of up to 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000