An order to raise a company of men to defend the town and harbor of Boston. One partially printed page, 6.5" x 3.75", Boston, [Massachusetts]; May 14, 1776. American Revolutionary War order to raise a company of men to defend the town and harbor of Boston. A partially printed document, filled in and signed by Colonel Thomas Marshall (1719-1800) of the Boston Regiment of Militia, ordering James Gray (1749-1822), a captain in Marshall's regiment, to raise a company of soldiers to defend and secure Boston and its harbor. "To Captain James Gray You are hereby empowered immediately to enlist a Company to consist of Eighty-eight able-bodied and effective Men, including Non-commissioned Officers and Privates, as Soldiers, in the Service of this Colony to defend and secure the Town and Harbour of Boston; and cause them to pass Muster as soon as possible at Boston. Boston 14th Day of May__________1776. Thos. Marshall Coll." The date of this order was shortly after British troops evacuated Boston, which occurred on March 17, 1776. The British Army was forced to evacuate Boston as a result of General George Washington's successful placement of fortifications and cannons on Dorchester Heights, which overlooks the town from the south. Although part of the Continental Army moved to New York, it was still necessary to have troops available to defend Boston and its harbor after the British departure. That was the purpose of this order. Thomas Marshall (1719-1800) was a Boston Selectman and tailor by trade before the Revolution. He was appointed a colonel of the Boston Regiment of Militia on May 1, 1776. He was the commanding officer of the 10th Massachusetts Regiment from November 6, 1776 until January 1, 1781. James Gray (1749-1822), born in Massachusetts, later moved to Epsom, New Hampshire. He worked as a teacher before the Revolution, and was commissioned a captain in the First New Hampshire Regiment under Colonel Thomas Marshall and took part in the fortification of Boston Harbor in September 1776, assisted in the defense of Fort Ticonderoga in 1777 and commanded a company in the Third New Hampshire Regiment under Colonel Alexander Scammell, and was a commander at Skenesboro, New York where he saw action at the Battle of Fort Ann in July 1777. Revolutionary War military orders of this type are rare in the market. Condition: Partial separation at vertical fold repaired on verso with archival tape. Rough edges. Light soiling and foxing. HID03101062020 © 2022 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved

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