June 24, 1775 Connecticut Revolutionary War Military Pay Order Signed by Peter Chauncey & James Wadsworth Jr. 

Description

June 24, 1775 Connecticut Revolutionary War Military Pay Order Signed by Peter Chauncey & James Wadsworth Jr. 

An exceptional Revolutionary War-era military pay order issued by the Colony of Connecticut during the earliest days of the American Revolution. Dated Durham, Connecticut, June 24, 1775, this remarkable manuscript directs John Lawrence, Esq., Treasurer of the Colony of Connecticut, to pay Captain James Robinson of Durham the sum of £19-3-0 for compensation due to the non-commissioned officers and soldiers serving under his command.

The document reads in part:
“Pay to Capt. James Robinson of Durham nineteen pounds & three shillings due to the non-commission officers & soldiers in the company under his command for attending military exercises in pursuance of an Act of the General Assembly…”
Most notably, the order is boldly signed by Peter Chauncey and James Wadsworth Jr., serving as Justices of the Peace, providing an important association with two prominent Connecticut colonial officials. The reverse bears a receipt signed by Daniel Hall acknowledging payment at Hartford on July 4, 1775, together with treasury audit notations dated May 13, 1776, documenting the completion of the financial transaction.

Issued barely two months after the Battles of Lexington and Concord, this manuscript reflects Connecticut’s immediate efforts to organize, train, and financially support its militia companies as the colonies prepared for war with Great Britain. Captain James Robinson’s Durham company formed part of the colony’s defensive forces during this pivotal period, making this document a tangible record of America’s earliest military mobilization.

Executed in rich iron gall ink with bold, legible period penmanship, the manuscript survives with multiple endorsements and official notations tracing the payment from authorization through final audit. Revolutionary War military financial documents dating to the opening months of the conflict are increasingly scarce, particularly those bearing the signatures of colonial officials and directly relating to militia service.\

An outstanding and historically significant Revolutionary War manuscript, this document represents an important surviving record of Connecticut’s support of its citizen soldiers at the dawn of American independence. 

Inventory Number: REV 075