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Manuscripts, Autographs & Authenticity

A manuscript is any document written by hand, such as letters, diaries, receipts, orderly books, and other non-printed materials. Handwritten documents were the primary means of communication in war, business, and government during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The manuscripts presented here range from simple receipts for pork, gin, and tents for Washington's army, to letters written by Benedict Arnold, John Jay, John Hancock, Henry Knox, and George Washington himself. Most of these items document the day to day operations of the Continental Army and contain valuable information about how the army was fed, troop maneuvers, military engagements, and the payment of soldiers.

These images are examples of the numerous autographs of famous people you will find in this Web site.

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Adams, Samuel, 1745-1819., ALS (White Plains, September 7, 1778), 1 page. [Detail]

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Arnold, Benedict, ALS (Head Quarters Robinson's House [West Point, NY], September 1, 1780), 2 pages. [Detail]

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Lee, Charles, ALS (Camp [White Plains, NY], November 20, 1776), 2 pages. [Detail]

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Washington, George, 1732-1799., LS (White Plains, August 13, 1778), 4 pages. [Detail]
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