G. Washington Boldly Signed Discharge NY Soldier Until Signing of Peace Treaty

GEORGE WASHINGTON, Partially Printed Document Signed, Provisional Discharge of Henry Post, June 7, 1783, Headquarters, New York. Also signed by Jonathan Trumbull Jr., Christopher Hutton, Philip van Cortlandt, Henry Post with his mark, and Judge Patrick Barber. 2 pp., 8" x 12.5". Toning and edge tears; some small paper loss at folds.

Private Henry Post (1758-1819) enlisted on May 12, 1777, at Kingston, New York, under Captain Henry Vanderburgh (1760-1812) to serve during the war. He served in the 2nd Battalion of the regiment commanded by Colonel Philip Van Cortlandt in the New York Line for six years and four months, during which he participated in the battles of Point Montgomery and Saratoga and then served on the frontier under General John Sullivan. The regiment also served at the Battle of Yorktown. Post was discharged in June 1783 at New Windsor, New York, and the regiment disbanded on November 15, 1783.

At his discharge on June 8, 1783, Post received a warrant for one hundred acres of land from Congress and another for five hundred acres from the state of New York. Post conveyed that warrant to Daniel Hudson and Company on April 12, 1784. By 1817, Post was living in Salem County in southern New Jersey, where he began receiving a pension of $8 per month in October 1818. He died on December 26, 1819.

Complete Transcript
BY HIS EXCELLENCY
GEORGE WASHINGTON, ESQ;
General and Commander in Chief of the Forces of the
United States of America.
These are to certify that the Bearer hereof Henry Post Private in the Second N York Regiment, having faithfully served the United States one year and being inlisted for the War only, is hereby DISCHARGED from the American Army,
GIVEN at HEAD-QUARTERS the
Go Washington
By HIS EXCELLENCY'S / Command,
Jo Trumbull Junr Sy

REGISTERED in the Books of the Regiment,
Christ. Hutton Lt& Adjutant.

THE above Henry Post has been honored with the Badge of Merit for one Years faithful Service.
P. Cortlandt Colo

[verso:] HEAD-QUARTERS, June 7th 1783.
The within CERTIFICATE shall not avail the Bearer as a Discharge, until the Ratification of the definitive Treaty of Peace; previous to which Time, and until Proclamation thereof shall be made, He is to be considered as being on Furlough.
GEORGE WASHINGTON

[Endorsement:]
For Vallue received of Daniel Hudson & Co I heare by mak over & grant for my selfe Heirs & Exeters unto the said Daniel Hudson & Co His Heirs & Exeters my right & Claim on the Publick for Six Hundred Acres of land witness my hand & seal this 12 April 1784
his
Henry X Post
mark
in presents of
C Charles Hatch
Asa Chapman

[Endorsement:]
Be it remembered that on the 15th Day of September in the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty four Personaly appeared before me Patrick Barber one of the Judges of the Inferior Court of Common Pleas for the County of Ulster Asa Chapman one of the subscribing Witnesses to the above conveyance and he being Duly Sworn deposeth and saith that he was Present and saw the above Named Henry Post sign seal and Deliver the above Conveyance and Claim on the Public as his Voluntary Act and Deed for six hundred Acres of Land unto Daniel Hudson and Company and at the same time Charles Hatch With him the sd Chapman signed the above as Witnesses
I therefor do allow the same to be Regarded in the Surveyors General Office
Patrick Barber

Jonathan Trumbull Jr. (1740-1809) was born in Connecticut and graduated from Harvard College in 1759. He received his master's degree in 1762 and gave the valedictory address. He served in the Connecticut legislature three times (1774-1775; 1779-1780; and 1788, when he was Speaker of the House). During the Revolutionary War, Trumbull was the paymaster of the Northern Department from 1775 to 1778. In June 1781, he became secretary to Commander-in-Chief George Washington and served in that position until December 1783. He represented Connecticut in the U. S. House of Representatives from 1789 to 1795, and in the U.S. Senate from 1795 to 1796. He resigned from the Senate to become lieutenant governor of Connecticut. When Governor Oliver Wolcott died in December 1797, Trumbull became Governor of Connecticut and was re-elected to eleven consecutive terms until his death. His father and namesake had been the first Governor of Connecticut from 1776 to 1784.

Christopher Hutton (1757-1843) served with a variety of units during the Revolutionary War, beginning with Col. John Lasher's independent New York militia regiment, then Lt. Col. John Mead's 9th Regiment of Connecticut militia briefly before they were dismissed. He was then commissioned an ensign in the 3rd New York Regiment, for which he became the regimental adjutant in May 1778. In February 1779, he was promoted to lieutenant, and he joined the 2nd New York on January 1, 1783, leaving the army in June of that year.

Philip Van Cortlandt (1749-1831) was born in New York City, the eldest son of Pierre Van Cortlandt (1721-1814), who served as lieutenant governor of New York from 1777 to 1795. His maternal great-grandfather was Robert Livingston (1654-1728), the first lord of Livingston Manor. Philip Van Cortlandt attended Coldenham Academy and became a civil engineer. He was active in the New York loyalist militia, in which he became a major. At the beginning of the Revolutionary War, he resigned from the militia and served as a founding member of the New York Provincial Congress in 1775. During the war, he commanded the 4th Battalion of the New York Continental Infantry, served on General George Washington's staff, and commanded the Continental Army's 2nd New York Regiment. He participated in the Battle of Saratoga; wintered with the army at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania; participated in the Battle of Monmouth; took part in the Sullivan Expedition to western New York; and participated in the siege of Yorktown in Virginia. He was mustered out of the army with the rank of brigadier general. In 1788, he served in the New York convention that ratified the U.S. Constitution and served in the New York State Assembly from 1788 to 1790 and the New York Senate from 1791 to 1793. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1793 as a Democratic-Republican and served eight terms from 1793 to 1809. He never married and had no children.

Daniel Hudson & Company was established by Daniel Hudson (1750-1823), a former sea captain who operated a store in Newburgh, New York, in 1785. By 1800, the company had relocated to Troy, New York. In 1807, he sold his stock and store to John Sampson and Gilbert Reilay.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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