[John Hancock]. State of Massachusetts-Bay. In the House of Representatives, October 8, 1779. One printed page, 8.25" x 13", [Boston]; [circa October 1779]. Broadside. [Boston, Massachusetts: Thomas and John Fleet, 1779]. Docketed. Revolutionary War broadside requiring information concerning supplies for Continental Army troops or families of troops raised for the war in Massachusetts. This 1779 broadside requires the Selectmen or Committee of each town in Massachusetts submit an account of all supplies given, as well as any bounties, to any soldier or his family who was mustered as a member of the state's part of the Continental Army. This accounting was to cover the previous three years of the war. If the accounting was not turned in on time, the Selectmen or Committee would each be fined one hundred pounds by the state. The broadside was circulated under the name of John Hancock as Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. The broadside reads, in part: "RESOLVED, That the Selectmen or Committee of each town and plantation in this State, be, and they hereby are required to render under oath, a full account of all supplies furnished before the 15th of October instant (whereof an account is not already exhibited) and also of all bounties and gratuities given, whether by the town or plantation, or any individual, to every soldier and family of a soldier, raised as part of this State's proportion of the Continental army for three years or during the war... RESOLVED, That if the Selectmen or Committee of any town or plantation in this State, who have had the charge of supplying the families of the soldiers aforesaid, shall neglect a punctual compliance with this Requisition:--The Selectmen or Committee so neglecting, shall individually forfeit to the use of this State, one hundred pounds; for the recovery whereof, the Treasurer of this State is hereby impowered and directed to issue his execution, upon each Selectman or Member of a Committee so neglecting, upon receiving notice of such neglect from the Secretary. Sent up for concurrence. JOHN HANCOCK, SPEAKER. IN COUNCIL, October 8, 1779." Also included is a steel engraving of Hancock by Johnson, Fry & Co., circa 1862. Reference: Evans 16369 Condition: Small hole at center of document affecting two words of text. Three very minor areas of paper loss caused by ink burn from docketing on verso, affecting just one letter of text. Rough edges with some slight wrinkling at bottom margin. Light scattered foxing. HID03101062020 © 2022 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved

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