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Dated September 9, 1777, this Connecticut Committee of the Pay Table order directs State Treasurer John Lawrence to pay Nathan Palmer four pounds eight shillings and Amariah Lilley three pounds eighteen shillings for losses sustained during the American “Retreat from New York,” together with what appears to be additional loss through plunder. The total payment amounted to £8 6s.
The order is signed by John Chenevard, a member of Connecticut’s important Committee of the Pay Table—the wartime body responsible for authorizing military expenditures, settling soldiers’ accounts, and reimbursing losses incurred in public service. It is addressed to John Lawrence, who served as treasurer of the Colony and subsequently the State of Connecticut from 1769 to 1789.
An endorsement on the reverse, dated September 17, 1777, acknowledges receipt of the full £8 6s and appears to be signed by Jonathan Hammett on behalf of the recipients.
The “Retreat from New York” refers to the critical campaign of 1776, when George Washington’s army was driven from Long Island and New York City and ultimately forced across New Jersey. In the confusion of these withdrawals, Connecticut soldiers frequently lost arms, clothing, blankets, equipment, and personal possessions. This document records the state’s later effort to compensate two of those men.
An unusually descriptive Revolutionary War financial document with a direct connection to one of the darkest and most consequential episodes of Washington’s early command.
Date: September 9, 1777
Place: Connecticut
Signed: John Chenevard, Committee of the Pay Table
Addressed to: John Lawrence, Connecticut State Treasurer
Recipients: Nathan Palmer and Amariah Lilley
Verso endorsement: September 17, 1777; apparently Jonathan Hammett
Condition: Original folds, light soiling, ink transfer and show-through, minor edge irregularities, and small contemporary ink marks. Strong writing and signatures; very good overall Revolutionary War condition.
