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1778 British Major General William Phillips Manuscript Letter Signed While he was Being Held as a Prisoner-of War

WILLIAM PHILLIPS (1731-1781). Revolutionary War British Major General, held as an American Prisoner at Cambridge, MA, after the surrender of General John Burgoyne to General Gates at Saratoga, NY, on October 18, 1777.

July 2, 1778-Dated Revolutionary War Period, Manuscript Letter Signed, "W. Phillips", 1 page, plus attached docketing leaf, at Cambridge, MA, measuring 9-1/8" x 7-3/8", Choice Extremely Fine. This impressive original Letter is written while British Major General William Phillips, is held as an American Prisoner of War under the surrender agreement of the "Convention Army of Saratoga". Here, General Phillips has written to American Continental Army Major General William Heath concerning an allowance for a Mr. Durand in "Paper Money" possibly to supply the thousands of captured British Troops being held prisoner, and a Passport be given to a Mr. Giddes. General Phillips writes, in part:

"Cambridge July 2nd 1778 -- Sir - I should be wanting in my duty to the Kings Service, if I omitted any proof relating to the account of Mr. Durant's allowance, being agreed to in the clearest manner, to be paid in the present currency of America... (Signed) W. Phillips." Boldly Signed in rich deep brown at lower right by General Phillips. The overall condition is clean and and is easily readable, overall excellent in bold ink on laid period paper. Two easily removable prior paper mounts on the final blank page. Boldly penned Docket reads, in full: "From Genl. Phillips reply Mr. Giddes setting amounts - paying in paper money - order - July 2nd 1778".

William Phillips (1731 " 13 May 1781) was a renowned artilleryman and general officer in the British Army who served as a Major-General in the American War of Independence.

Phillips was promoted to the rank of Major-General and sent to Quebec in 1776, along with his friends General Henry Clinton and General John Burgoyne, to be the commander of all artillery in the province. Governor Sir Guy Carleton put him in charge of the shipyard at St. John's where, along with Captain Sir Charles Douglas, he supervised the building of the small fleet of ships that fought the Americans under Benedict Arnold at the Battle of Valcour Island. He later took part in the recapture of Fort Ticonderoga, where he stated, "Where a goat can go, a man can go. And where a man can go, he can drag a gun."

In John Trumbull's famous Painting of the "Surrender of General Burgoyne" Phillips is shown standing just behind Burgoyne, at left of center. As part of Burgoyne's army, he was captured at Saratoga in 1777. He is depicted in the painting of the Surrender of General Burgoyne by John Trumbull.

He was then a part of the Convention Army until he was exchanged for American General Benjamin Lincoln in 1780. While a prisoner in Virginia, he was one of the British officers who was entertained at the home of Thomas Jefferson. After the exchange he was able to fight once again, and was sent by Clinton from New York to meet up with Brigadier General Benedict Arnold (who was now on the British side) in Virginia.

While on his way to link up with General Cornwallis, he contracted either typhus or malaria, and became so ill that Arnold had to lead his men. He died on 13 May 1781 at Petersburg, Virginia, five months before Yorktown, and is buried there near Blandford Church.

As he lay gravely ill, in the home belonging to the Bolling family known as Bollingbrook, British forces in Petersburg were being shelled by the Marquis de Lafayette's cannons positioned in the heights north of the river, today known as Colonial Heights, Virginia. His final words " uttered after a shell struck the home and killed an African-American servant named Molly " are reputed to have been "Won't that boy let me die in peace?" He and Molly were said to have been buried together, to prevent identification. Thomas Jefferson described him as "the proudest man of the proudest nation on earth"

The surrender of General John Burgoyne to General Gates at Saratoga, NY, on October 18, 1777, placed nearly 6,000 British, Hessian, and Canadian prisoners of war in the hands of the Continental Congress, then in session at York, Pennsylvania.

An official report states that 5,800 troops surrendered at Saratoga, of which there were 2,400 Hessians and the remainder were British citizens. According to the terms of their surrender, written in a document entitled the "Convention of Saratoga," the prisoners were to be marched to Boston, and shipped back to Great Britain. If any of the prisoners desired to remain in America, they were permitted to escape.

The 6000 or so British prisoners from the surrender at Saratoga, were marched to Boston, where they were put in encampments on Prospect Hill and Winter Hill. The majority of the British prisoners were at Prospect Hill in Rutland, Massachusetts and the Hessian troops were at Winter Hill.

Gen. William Phillips (1731-1781) became the highest-ranking officer in the Convention Army after Gen. John Burgoyne was paroled and sailed for home. He was then a part of the Convention Army until he was exchanged for American General Benjamin Lincoln in 1780.

While a prisoner in Virginia, he was one of the British officers who was entertained at the home of Thomas Jefferson. After the exchange he was able to fight once again, and was sent by Clinton from New York to meet up with Brigadier General Benedict Arnold (who was now on the British side) in Virginia. While on his way to link up with General Cornwallis, he contracted either typhus or malaria, and became so ill that Arnold had to lead his men. He died on 13 May 1781 at Petersburg, Virginia, five months before Yorktown, and is buried there near Blandford Church.

As he lay gravely ill, in the home belonging to the Bolling family known as Bollingbrook, British forces in Petersburg were being shelled by the Marquis de Lafayette's cannons positioned in the heights north of the river, today known as Colonial Heights, Virginia.

His final words " uttered after a shell struck the home and killed an African-American servant named Molly " are reputed to have been "Won't that boy let me die in peace?" He and Molly were said to have been buried together, to prevent identification. Thomas Jefferson described him as "the proudest man of the proudest nation on earth".

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