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Table of Contents > Historic Autographs > Lot 74 |
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Browse the Auction in Groups of 25 Lots: |
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Lot Number: 74
Click for a Printable PageSign-in to Bid or Register to Bid Estimate Range: $600 - $800 |
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1795 Caleb Gibbs Writes Concerning His Clerk’s Salaries and Workload Charlestown, Massachusetts Naval Yard |
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CALEB GIBBS (1748-1818). Appointed by George Washington to command his “Commander-In-Chief Guards”; active with the Sons of Liberty; at the start of the Revolutionary War Gibbs was Captain in the 14th Massachusetts Regiment from Marblehead and his unit marched to the Lexington-Concord Alarm on April 19, 1775; wounded at Yorktown; Appointed to a key post at the newly established Charlestown Navy Yard and was involved in the building of such ships as the famed U.S.S. Constitution; Member of the Society of the Cincinnati. May 20, 1795-Dated Federal Period, United States NAVY related Autograph Letter Signed, “Caleb Gibbs,” 2 pages plus Integral Address Leaf, measuring 9” x 7.25,” dated at Boston, Choice Very Fine. During the Revolutionary War, Caleb Gibbs was the Commander of General George Washington’s Personal Life Guard. After the war, now President Washington appointed him to an important position at the United States Naval Yard at Charlestown, Massachusetts. In this Letter written to Samuel Hodgden, being the Superintendent of Military and Naval Stores of the United States at Philadelphia, Gibbs complains that clerks in his office are underpaid for the amount of work required of them. Reading, in part: “Therefore It cannot be doubted but that the duty of the Clerks of the Navy Yards was fully determined with the Secretary of War previous to the affixing of their Salaries. -- It is not supportable that the clerks must do three times the duty more than what was originally intended for them by the Secretary of War for the same Salary.”... The Docket on the reverse side reads: “Letter from Gibbs - 20th May 1795 - Refuses to make Monthly returns.” The integral address sheet is marked by hand with a postal rate of “20” but also written is, “Public Service” indicating a Free Frank privilege for Gibbs in his position at the Naval Yard. Postal markings stamped in black include “Boston” and roman numerals for 1 and 4 inside a circle. This lovely well written Letter is in excellent condition with just a bit of paper missing where the original wax seal was torn open (not affecting any content), and a fine 3” tear on the address sheet. Overall, a very clean pleasing and easily readable valuable piece of early American Naval History written on laid period paper, signed by a close longtime friend and associate of General and President George Washington. On March 6, 1776, General Washington personally picked Gibbs to command his newly established personal guard unit. A member of Washington’s personal staff, Gibbs’ responsibilities were many. Besides protecting General Washington and the headquarters, when the Army was moving, he was charged with selecting defensible quarters for General Washington and his staff. When the General was traveling, Major Gibbs mounted a guard to accompany him. In 1781 at Kings Bridge, New York, a 50 man Guard escort encountered 1,500 British Regulars. A hopeless rear-guard action was fought, in which Gibb’s Guard unit lost 17 men, but General Washington escaped to safety. Major Gibbs, himself, was wounded at Yorktown. When the Guard was disbanded in 1783, Gibbs was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and transferred to the 2nd Massachusetts Continental Regiment. After the Revolutionary War, Gibbs returned to the Boston area and maintained a close relationship with Washington and Alexander Hamilton. He was appointed to a key civilian post at the newly established Charlestown Navy Yard and was involved in the building of such ships as the famed U.S.S. Constitution. When President Washington visited Boston in 1789, Gibbs mounted the honor guard for the President, wearing the same style uniforms that were worn during the Revolutionary War. Gibbs was also active in the Society of the Cincinnati. |
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Lot Number: 74
Click for a Printable Page Sign-in to Bid or Register to Bid |
Estimate Range: $600 - $800 |
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Early American 1520 Commerce St., # 312 • Winchester, VA 22601 Phone: 858 • 759 • 3290 Email: Auctions@EarlyAmerican.com |
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