George Washington was commanding the Continental Army and staying in Morristown when he wrote an optimistic letter on the prospects of winning the Revolutionary War despite a recent defeat.
His words were vindicated four years later when Great Britain surrendered.
Nearly 250 years later, his letter endures, albeit with some wear, according to a Philadelphia-based company specializing in historical documents and autographs.
The company, The Raab Collection, acquired the letter from a private collection in New England and put it on the market Monday, on Presidents Day, spokesperson Rebecca Barry told NJ Advance Media.
The asking price is $150,000.
“This is a powerful expression of the spirit of the American uprising from the mind of its Commander in Chief and future first President, a truly remarkable find and an evocative piece of our national history,” said Nathan Raab, president of The Raab Collection.
Washington signed the letter on May 7, 1777. It was written in response to a letter, five days earlier, from Brigadier General Samuel Holden Parsons notifying Washington of “an Event very Alarming to the Country” — a British victory in Danbury, Connecticut.
Continental Army supplies and equipment had been burned, Holden wrote in warning that the British would target other supply shops.
“I hope the Effect will not be fatal to the Army,” Holden wrote in his letter, according to The Raab Collection.
Washington countered with a more upbeat perspective, noting the strong resistance shown by the colonists during the battle in Danbury. The British will take notice, the future president said.
“For tho’ they afforded themselves the stores at Danbury, yet it was with considerable loss and they are convinced whenever they make an impression, the Country will recur to arms,” Washington wrote.
Washington ordered Holden to send additional soldiers to guard other supply stores.
“The loss of the flour at Danbury is to be regretted, but I cannot consider it in the important light you seem to do,” Washington wrote.
“I must therefore request that you will continue to forward on,” Washington wrote.
The 1777 letter is another piece in New Jersey’s storied Revolutionary War history.
It was written five months before the Battle of Red Bank, in which an outnumbered group of colonists beat back an effort to capture Fort Mercer.
That battle drew renewed attention in 2022 after the skeletal remains of 15 Hessian soldiers fighting for Great Britain found inside a 4 1/2-foot deep trench about 400 yards from the main parking lot of Red Bank Battlefield Park along the Delaware River in the borough of National Park.
Washington’s letter is not being auctioned and is being made available to a buyer on a first-come, first-served basis, Barry said.
It is the highest priced of three letters by Washington listed for sale by The Raab Collection.
A letter dated Oct. 31, 1780, authorized a prisoner exchange with the British is priced at $65,000. A land claim dated Aug. 3., 1770, is priced at $38,000.
Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com.
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