William Woodford autograph document signed ("Wm Woodford Brigd. Genl."). Two pages of a bifolium, 8" x 12.25", White Plains, New York; September 11, 1778. An invoice from Brigadier General William Woodford and Brigadier General Peter Muhlenberg ordering supplies before the winter encampment at Valley Forge. This manuscript, co-signed by Peter Muhlenberg ("P: Muhlenberg BG"), is an invoice of clothing supplied by Virginia for the use of Continental troops of Pennsylvania at Valley Forge. The document, presented in part below, includes concerns raised by Woodford and Muhlenberg that some of the clothing was not delivered to the troops and that they would be blamed for the situation. It reads, in part: "Invoice of all the goods brought to Philadelphia from Virginia for the use of the Troops of that State, as per the report of Lieut. Colo. [William] Heth who was sent with instructions from the Brigadiers & Field Officers of the Virginia Line to take charge of them upon their receiving an acct. from Mr. Stark of their arrival this the 21st of August 1778... The goods sent up last winter from Virginia were committed to the care of three Officers who delivered them out per orders...& kept an exact acct. of the articles delivered each individual charging them by the No. of such as had any number marked upon them & when this was not the case, by the best discription [sic] in their power... We would further observe that as the goods sent forward last Winter were put under our direction, we are apprehensive we may be blamed at some future Day by those unacquainted with these circumstances for not rendering the public a more satisfactory acct. of them which we wish again to repeat has been totally out of our power." Both Brigadier General Woodward and Brigadier General Muhlenberg wintered their Virginia troops at Valley Forge from December 1777 to June 1778, a time they refer to in this document. They list ten different types of cloth along with the quantity of each, plus numbers of hose, shirts, and vests sent to their troops. This document is an attempt to explain what happened to the goods that were sent to Valley Forge. It highlights supply problems faced by Continental troops who were dependent on their individual states for clothing and other supplies, especially during the harsh winter at Valley Forge. A native of Virginia, William Woodford (1734-1780) first served as an ensign in the Virginia Regiment, under Colonel George Washington, during the French and Indian War, with later promotion to Lieutenant. Upon the start of the American Revolution, Woodford was appointed Colonel to the 2nd Virginia Regiment. On December 9, 1775, the 2nd Virginia drove the Royal Governor, Lord Dunmore, out of the Norfolk peninsula following the Battle of Great Bridge, culminating in the first major battle of the Revolution played out on Virginia soil. The 2nd Virginia was ordered to join Washington's main army in New Jersey, forming a portion of the new Virginia Line in which Woodford was promoted to Brigadier General. Woodford was wounded at the Battle of Brandywine, September 11, 1777, though his troops performed well; the unit continued to serve admirably throughout the next few years, participating in the Battle of Monmouth and the Siege of Charleston. Unfortunately, Woodford and his troops were ultimately taken prisoner at Charleston, and Woodford himself died on a British prison ship in 1780. John Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg (1746-1807) was a Lutheran clergyman who served as a soldier in the American Revolution and later as a political figure in the fledgling United States, representing Pennsylvania in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate. During the war, Muhlenberg was appointed Colonel in late 1775 and given leave to form the 8th Virginia Regiment of the Continental Army. Muhlenberg's unit was first ordered to defend the coast of South Carolina and Georgia before being sent north in early 1777 to join Washington's main army. Muhlenberg was promoted to brigadier general of the Virginia Line, which he commanded at Valley Forge. During his commission, Muhlenberg saw service in the Battles of Brandywine, Germantown, Monmouth, and Yorktown, at which he commanded one of the first brigades of the Corps of Light Infantry. At the close of the war, Muhlenberg was brevetted to major general; he was appointed the supervisor of revenue for Pennsylvania 1801 and later customs collector for Philadelphia; he served in the latter post until his death. Condition: A few stray pinholes along intersections of folds with one open tear measuring .25" that does not touch any text. Light scattered soiling. HID03101062020 © 2022 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved

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