Lot 139

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Lot 139
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John Hancock Signs Commission for Soldier Who Went to Quebec with Arnold, Fought Under Montgomery, & Who Inspected Valley Forge as Barracks Master General of the Continental Army
John Hancock Signs Commission for Soldier Who Went to Quebec with Arnold, Fought Under Montgomery, & Who Inspected Valley Forge as Barracks Master General of the Continental Army
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Description:

John Hancock Signs Commission for Soldier Who Went to Quebec with Arnold, Fought Under Montgomery, & Who Inspected Valley Forge as Barracks Master General of the Continental Army

A Revolutionary War-dated commission signed by Declaration of Independence signer John Hancock, handsomely displayed to the left of a high-quality photo reproduction of Hancock's 1765 portrait after John Singleton Copley. Matted within a cream gilt-edged mat to a completed size of 23.25" x 13" x .875" overall.

The 1p document was signed by important American Patriot John Hancock (1737-1793) in his role as President of the Continental Congress as "John Hancock" at lower right. His signature--with its iconic underline flourish and aesthetically pleasing symmetry--measures 4.25" x 1.125" alone. Signed in Philadelphia on July 5, 1777. Also countersigned by longtime congressional secretary Charles Thomson (1729-1824) as "Cha Thomson Secry" at lower left. Partly printed and partly handwritten, and docketed verso. Expected wear includes paper folds. Minor splits, isolated edge loss, and isolated loss to the large printed "W" and a few other letters have been discretely and professionally restored. Evenly toned and overall a very attractive document. Lightly encapsulated. The actual size of the document is 12.125" x 8.125."

In the summer of 1777, John Hancock was nearing the end of his second non-consecutive term as President of the 4th Continental Congress (May 24, 1775 - October 31, 1777.) He appointed a Pennsylvania military officer named Isaac Melcher to serve as barrack master general of the Continental Army.

In part:

[printed] "IN CONGRESS.

The DELEGATES of the UNTIED STATES of New-Hampshire, Massachusetts-Bay, Rhode-Island, Connecticut, New-York, New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North-Carolina, South-Carolina and Georgia, TO

[handwritten] Isaac Melcher Esq.

[printed] We, reposing special Trust and Confidence in your Patriotism, Valour, Conduct and Fidelity, DO, by these Presents, constitute and appoint you to be

[handwritten] Barrack master general with the rank of Colonel

[printed] in the Army of the United States, raised for the Defence of American Liberty, and for repelling every hostile Invasion thereof. You are therefore carefully and diligently to discharge the Duty of [handwritten] Barack master general [printed] by doing and performing all manner of Things thereunto belonging. And we do strictly charge and require all Officers and Soldiers under your Command, to be obedient to your Orders as [handwritten] barrack master general …"

Isaac Melcher (also spelled Melchior) (ca. 1748-1790) was a Philadelphia merchant and Pennsylvania militia officer who had participated in the disastrous 1775 Invasion of Quebec. This campaign had a double objective: to weaken or wrest away British control in Canada, and to incite French-speaking Canadiens to join the patriot cause. In September 1775, Melcher had been one of the 1,100 Continental Army volunteers who marched 350 miles from Cambridge, Massachusetts to Quebec City under the command of Colonel Benedict Arnold. Melcher attained the rank of brigadier major under Arnold's Invasion co-commander Major General Richard Montgomery; this Irish-born former officer in the British Army was killed on December 31, 1775 in the assault on Quebec.

In early March 1776, Melcher had traveled to Philadelphia to solicit a commission from the Continental Congress. Melcher was offered--and promptly rejected--a captaincy proffered by President of the Continental Congress John Hancock. According to contemporary diarists, Melcher spurned the commission in rage, using choice words against both Hancock and lawmakers. Yet Melcher dodged punishment, namely a motion that he be ejected from the Continental Army, after apologizing before Congress on March 8, 1776. A little more than a year later, Melcher would be appointed as "Barrack master general with the rank of colonel," an impressive promotion considering Melcher's track record with Congress.

Melcher had gained significant experience in the interim: between mid-December 1776 and August 1778, he served as barrack master general with the rank of colonel in the Pennsylvania militia. And from July 5, 1777, as we know from this document, Melcher became acting barrack master general of the entire Continental Army. In this expanded capacity, Melcher visited Washington's winter encampment at Valley Forge in November 1778, about six months after the troops had left, recommending to Congress that its building materials be sold to prevent loss from theft. Melcher served as barrack master general of the Continental Army until his entire department was abolished by congressional act on January 20, 1780.

The study of Revolutionary War logistics is a fascinating one; besides searching the National Archives, one should consult Erna Risch's important monograph "Supplying Washington's Army, Special Studies" (Washington, D.C.: Center of Military History, United States Army), 1981. The patriot war machine was organized as follows: General George Washington, as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, relied on a cadre of department heads tasked with supplying his soldiers' food, shelter, clothing, arms, equipment, and transportation. Under these department heads were dozens of support staff including clerks, messengers, sailors, teamsters, carpenters, blacksmiths, hostlers, and porters. Departments were divided by function: quarter masters procured food, soap, candles, kettles, and pails; barrack masters obtained land, wood, straw, and blankets and constructed shelter; and wagon masters, forage masters, and packhorse masters fulfilled the army's other needs.

Early in the Revolutionary War, soldiers were often lodged in private houses as barrack construction was extremely expensive. (One barrack housing about 100 men cost approximately £120 to construct, and once built, living conditions were not ideal.) As the war machine expanded, however, the task of sheltering soldiers was broken out from the quarter master general's purview into its own department, that of barrack master general's. By January 1779, Congress worried that Melcher's department had become a bloated bureaucracy. In May 1779, its area of oversight was restricted, and by January 1780, its duties were absorbed back under the control of the quarter master general.

At least one secondary source suggests that Isaac Melcher was the only person to ever be appointed as barrack master general of the Continental Army. This claim could not be definitively corroborated; however, it is certainly possible since the department did not last long. In addition, as far as we can tell, Melcher's name is the only one associated with the position of barrack master general of the Continental Army.

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.

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