Lexington Minutemen Signed This Book

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/31/2008

A fine grouping of at least twenty documents signed by various men who served during the Lexington alarm contained in a 139 page account book, legal folio, [Hingham, Mass.] 1775- 1796. The signers include: LEVI BURR (Drummer), JESSE SPRAUE, ELISHA LANE, THEOPHIUS CUSHING, JOSEPH CUSHING, (Lieutenant Colonel, Brigadier), JOHN BAYLEY, EDWARD WILDER (Sergeant), SETH CUSHING (Major), NATHANIEL LINCOLN (2nd. Lieutenant), SAMUEL BURR, NATHANIEL CUSHING, CHARLES CUSHING (Lieutenant Captain), JOHN BURR, JR., ISAIAH CUSING (Col. in Lincoln Regiment), THOMAS JONES, JR. (Sergeant), JOHN CUSHING (Colonel), JOSHUA BARKER, AMOS SPRAGUE (Corporal), NEHEMIAH RIPLEY, and JOSHUA LORING. Besides containing the scarce signatures of these patriots, the account book offers something even more important: a glimpse into their daily lives. The owner of the account book was a merchant residing somewhere in the vicinity of Hingham for his accounts also include one for Major General Benjamin Lincoln (whose account is signed by his secretary), and from various place names mentioned. He actively traded in rum, tea, plows, wood, sugar, and other manufactured goods and also appeared to posses a substantial farm, workshop and owned part of a wharf. It appears that this merchant also supplied arms and accoutrements to the Continental Army: on the first page he sold in December 1775 Thomas Cushing "A Mount for a gun - 4s" he then charged 3s 4d for mounting the gun. In early 1776 he sold Hawke Fearing Jr., "A Sworde & Belt". He charges Isaiah Cushing 1-4-1 for "A Barr of Iron agreed for" and 6s for "Secting[?] of your accompt [?] for Cannon work &c." in July 1777. From the fall of 1776 through the summer of 1777, Caleb Loring purchased 2000 canteens for Massachusetts soldiers marching to Ticonderoga to stem the advance of Burgoyne. According to Hingham town records, Loring was chosen to arrange supplies for companies from Scituate and Pembroke while they were in Hingham. The town records also indicate that Hawke Fearing was paid 8d. for "Transporting Cannon to Hull" and under Fearing's account he charges 2s on Dec. 16, 1776 "Chair to Hull Charged to David Burr". It appears from this that the merchant also rented a cart to Fearing or the town, and sells Amos Sprague "29 1/2 dozen of Canteen Bootons [sic]". Further research will likely reveal many more connections and reveal much about the Minutemen and their world. Still in its original leather binding that shows much wear, spine and some pages loose, although the pages within are still quite clean, overall good to very good condition.

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