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Catalogue 255 The |
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Section II: Barbeu-Dubourg |
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Papers
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Modeled on Poor Richard 26. [Barbeu-Dubourg, Jacques]: CALENDRIER DE PHILADELPHIE, OU CONSTITUTIONS DE SANCHO-PANÇA ET DU BON-HOMME RICHARD, EN PENSYLVANIE. [Paris? 1778]. xxx,118pp. Half title. 12mo. Contemporary mottled calf, gilt-lettered spine. Slightly rubbed. Contemporary bookplate on front pastedown; old library markings and stamp of the Bibliothèque du Tribunal on verso of titlepage. Internally bright and clean. Very good. Second and expanded issue, after the first of 1777, of this close imitation of Benjamin Franklin’s Poor Richard’s Almanac, written by an intimate of Franklin. Barbeu-DuBourg, a doctor and botanist, was one of the first to befriend Franklin when he arrived in France. His ideological similarities to Franklin ran deep. He edited the early French editions of Franklin’s works, translated the works of John Dickinson, and until replaced by Beaumarchais, he served as commercial agent for America. The present work is divided into three parts. The first two parts, an introduction by "Sancho Panca" and a fictional conversation between Mistress Rachel, Sir Thomas, Le Bon-Homme Richard, and Sancho Panca, are new to this issue (pp. xxx, 6). The third part, which originally comprised the whole of the first issue, is an almanac-like "Calendrier" (pp.7-118), full of political and social observation, including several references to America, Indians, liberty, and American Independence. The "Introduction" and "Conversation" between Sancho Panca, Le Bon-Homme Richard, et al, which mixes thoughts on the American and French Enlightenment, make this popular little book significant for the spread of liberal American ideas in Europe. In some copies the three preliminary leaves of the original "Calendrier," including the 1777 titlepage, are retained; here they are excised as issued. A most important record of liberalism in France, by Franklin’s closest friend in Paris. SABIN 3335. GEPHART 12775. FAY, p.11. I.N.E.D. 216. $1250.27. [Bernard, Francis]: SELECT LETTERS ON THE TRADE AND GOVERNMENT OF AMERICA; AND THE PRINCIPLES OF LAW AND POLITY, APPLIED TO THE AMERICAN COLONIES...NOW FIRST PUBLISHED: TO WHICH ARE ADDED THE PETITION OF THE ASSEMBLY OF MASSACHUSETT’S BAY AGAINST THE GOVERNOR, HIS ANSWER THERETO, AND THE ORDER OF THE KING IN COUNCIL THEREON. London. 1774. vii,[1],130pp. Dbd. Somewhat tanned, else very good. In a paper box. Bernard was governor of Massachusetts during the Stamp Act Crisis. These letters were originally written in 1763-68, but they remained unpublished until 1774. The Massachusetts Assembly petitioned the King to remove Bernard for his abusive treatment of them. The King refused their request. "These letters...throw great light on the affairs of New England at that period" – Sabin. An important source on Massachusetts politics during a turbulent era. This is the second setting of the second issue, which added pages 86-130, carrying affairs up to 1770. Adams notes that the first two issues were probably printed for private distribution, so this would be the first available trade edition. HOWES B384. AMERICAN CONTROVERSY 74-7c. STEVENS 23. SABIN 4925. GOLDSMITH 11145. $750.28. [Bevier, John Hornbeck]: THE INDIANS: OR NARRATIVES OF MASSACRES AND DEPREDATIONS ON THE FRONTIER IN WAWASINK AND ITS VICINITY DURING THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION.... Rondout, N.Y.: Bradbury & Wells, 1846. 79pp. Original printed wrappers bound into modern half brown morocco and green cloth, gilt-lettered spine (spine incorrectly dated "1849"). Internally bright and clean. Very good. An engaging history of Indian depredations along the New York frontier during the Revolution, particularly of a raid on Wawasink in the early morning hours of Aug. 12, 1781. A large party of Tories and Indians, led by a man named Caldwell, planned to attack the local fort, but were foiled when two men and a woman spotted the Indians and arranged a barricade. Frustrated, the war party instead attacked the outlying areas, burning six houses and barns, and a grist mill. Several participants on both sides were killed. "This patriotic narrative blames the hostility of American Indians on the British, who paid a bounty for the scalps of white settlers. The appendix includes information on various local attractions" – Siebert sale catalogue. NESTLER, p.245. SIEBERT SALE 458. AYER SUPPLEMENT 12. SABIN 34659. $1500.A Seminal Political Work 29. Burgh, James: POLITICAL DISQUISITIONS; OR, AN ENQUIRY INTO PUBLIC ERRORS, DEFECTS, AND ABUSES. ILLUSTRATED BY...FACTS AND REMARKS, EXTRACTED FROM A VARIETY OF AUTHORS, ANCIENT AND MODERN. Philadelphia: Robert Bell and William Woodhouse, 1775. Three volumes. xxxii,486; [15],477; [16],460,[53]pp. plus publisher’s ads in each volume. Contemporary calf, each volume rebacked with most of original backstrips laid down. Extremities bit rubbed, corners worn. Quarter-sized brown stain on center of first three leaves of third volume. Light scattered foxing. Overall a good plus set. This lengthy political treatise is actually of the utmost interest for its espousal of a moderate political stance, and especially for having influenced the Founders. The book includes a seventy-page section on taxation of colonies, with heavy criticism of oppressive duties imposed upon the colonists. The third volume of this first American edition includes a list of subscribers beginning with George Washington, "Generalissimo of all the Forces in America, and a Member of the Honorable, the American Continental Congress." Other members of the Continental Congress listed are Samuel Chase, John Dickinson, John De Hart, Silas Deane, Christopher Gadsden, Robert Goldsborough, John Hancock, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Mifflin, Henry Middleton, Thomas McKean, George Ross, John Sullivan, Roger Sherman, James Wilson, Charles Thomson, and John Zubley. With a roster of such distinguished subscribers, one might assert that since Burgh’s work was at the fingertips of such men, the book was likely of considerable influence among them. Indeed, it has been stated that "Burgh’s Political Disquisitions are said to have produced a great effect upon the mind of the American colonists during the Revolution" (W. Govane quoted by Sabin). With the list of subscribers is a lengthy aside by the American editors (Bell and Woodhouse) quoting Sullivan ("It is better that 50 Thousand Men should be slain...than that 50 Thousand Men should live to be made slaves"), and castigating "any of Mr. Lukewarm’s Family, who are always numerous among the timid, [who] buy this Book, and unhappily think he hath too much for the Money. He may immediately apply the following remedy – Either tear the offensive leaf out – or more effectually to punish the forward Editor – Burn the whole Book...For some Minds are strangely squeamish, and think it a great Crime for a struggling bookseller, to support or produce Opinions, although he charge nothing for them...." EVANS 13861. SABIN 9245. $5500.30. Burgoyne, John: A STATE OF THE EXPEDITION FROM CANADA, AS LAID BEFORE THE HOUSE OF COMMONS, BY LIEUTENANT-GENERAL BURGOYNE, AND VERIFIED BY EVIDENCE; WITH A COLLECTION OF AUTHENTIC DOCUMENTS.... London. 1780. viii,140,lxii pp. plus [1]p. entitled "Advertisement," five partially colored folding plans (two with overlays), and folding map. Large quarto. Later 19th-century three-quarter calf over marbled boards, spine gilt, leather label. Head and toe of spine slightly chipped, outer joints extremely tender. Light offsetting on the map and plates, else internally very clean. A very good copy. The first edition, in large quarto format, of Burgoyne’s defense of his conduct as commander of the British expedition down the Hudson Valley from Canada in 1777. Intended to cut the New England colonies off from the rest of rebellious America, the expedition ended in disaster at Saratoga, where American forces soundly defeated Burgoyne and forced his capitulation. Herein Burgoyne answers the inquiry of the House of Commons, demonstrating that the forces he was given were not sufficient to accomplish the task. This is the most important source for information about the campaign, illustrated with excellent maps and plans. The "Plan of the Encampment and Position of the Army under His Excelly. Lt. General Burgoyne at Swords House on Hudson’s River near Stillwater..." depicts, among other particulars, the "First and Second Positions of that part of the Army engaged on the 19th of September." Tipped to the margin of that plan, as an overlay, is a section of a similar map depicting the "Third and Fourth Positions..." of the Army on that same date. The "Plan of the Encampment and Position of the Army under his Excelly. Lt. General Burgoyne at Braemus Heights..." also has an overlay tipped to the margin of the plan indicating the position of Burgoyne’s Army on Oct. 8. On the printed plan beneath the overly is indicated the General’s camp from Sept. 20 to Oct. 7. STREETER SALE 794. LANDE 69. TPL 503. SABIN 9255. HOWES B968, "aa." $8500.31. Caldwell, Charles: MEMOIRS OF THE LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF THE HON. NATHANIEL GREENE.... Philadelphia. 1819. xxiii, [1],452pp. plus two folding facsimiles. Errata slip adhered inside rear cover. Portrait. Original boards, paper label. Corners bit worn. Slight foxing on portrait and first couple leaves. Else very good, in original state. In a cloth case. A biography of the General, with descriptions of many of the major battles of the Revolution, in which he played a significant role. SABIN 9897. HOWES C21. SHAW & SHOEMAKER 47494. $1250.32. Chastellux, François J.: TRAVELS IN NORTH AMERICA, IN THE YEARS 1780, 1781, AND 1782. London. 1787. Two volumes. xv, 462; xii,432pp. plus two folding maps and three folding plates. Early 19th-century half calf and marbled boards, leather labels. Edges rubbed. Slight scattered foxing. Ex-Lehigh University, with bookplate in each volume. Overall very good. The first British edition of the first volume paired with the second edition of the second volume. A classic American travel narrative, called by Howes "the first trustworthy account of life in the United States." Chastellux was second in command of the French forces in America during the American Revolution. A member of the French Academy and an enlightened and perceptive man, his work describes his travels in Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Virginia, and his visits with Washington and Jefferson, with much material relating to the Revolution. The maps trace the author’s route, one showing Virginia and the other illustrating America from New Jersey to New England. HOWES C324. CLARK I:212. SABIN 12227. $1250.The First Anniversary 33. Clark, Jonas: THE FATE OF BLOOD-THIRSTY OPPRESSORS, AND GOD’S TENDER CARE OF HIS DISTRESSED PEOPLE. A SERMON, PREACHED AT LEXINGTON, APRIL 19, 1776. TO COMMEMORATE THE MURDER, BLOOD-SHED, AND COMMENCEMENT OF HOSTILITIES, BETWEEN GREAT BRITAIN AND AMERICA...TO WHICH IS ADDED A BRIEF NARRATIVE OF THE PRINCIPAL TRANSACTIONS OF THAT DAY. Boston: Powars and Willis, 1776. 31,[1],8pp. Contemporary marbled stiff wrappers. Scattered foxing, minor browning to edges. Very good. First edition, second state, of this patriotic sermon commemorating the first anniversary of the Battle of Lexington and Concord. Clark, the pastor at Lexington, witnessed first-hand the historic events of April 19, 1775 as they unfolded. The previous evening, both John Hancock and Samuel Adams were with Clark in his home in Lexington when they received word from the Committee of Safety that a British patrol was seen en route to Lexington. Suspecting the worst, a group of approximately twelve men volunteered to guard the reverend’s home and his important guests. Later, shortly after midnight, word arrived that a large body of British troops was seen marching towards town. Clark tells of how the militia was quickly assembled on Lexington Green, but was dispersed with instructions to remain within the sound of the drum. A few hours later the regulars reached the edge of town, and the militia was called to reassemble. In his narrative, Clark writes: "Capt. Parker, who commanded the militia company...order the men to disperse, and take care of themselves; – but many of them, not so speedily as they might have done, not having the most distant idea of such brutal barbarity and more than savage cruelty, from the troops of a British king, as they immediately experienced...one of [the British], supposed to be an officer of rank, was heard to say to the troops, ‘Damn them; we will have them!’ – Upon which the troops shouted aloud, huzza’d, and rushed furiously towards our men...[T]he foremost, who was within a few yards of our men, brandishing his sword, and then pointing towards them, with a loud voice said to the troops, ‘Fire! – By God, fire!’" With the shot heard ‘round the world, the Battle of Lexington and Concord, and thus the Revolution, had begun. In two footnotes, Clark includes a list of killed and wounded, along with a brief list of private homes destroyed by the British. His preceding sermon offers substantial evidence that God is firmly for the Continentals. A spirited and dramatic account of the dawn of the Revolution, by one who was there. HOWES C441, "aa." AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE 212. SABIN 13316. EVANS 14679. NAIP w020312. WEIS, p.56. $9500.Reporting on Indian Captives 34. Claus, Daniel: [AUTOGRAPH LETTER, SIGNED "D. CLAUS," TO CAPT. MATHEWS, REPORTING ON INDIAN CAPTIVES DURING THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION]. Montreal. March 23, 1780. [2]pp. written on folio sheet. Old folds. Four small pin holes. Very good. Accompanied by a typed transcription. Daniel Claus (1727-87) came to North America from Germany in 1749 and settled for a time in Philadelphia. Almost immediately upon his arrival he became interested in the various languages of the tribes of the Six Nations. He worked under William Johnson, and in 1760 was based in Montreal, becoming deputy agent to the Canadian Indians and reporting to both Johnson and the local military government. By the mid-1760s he had married and had acquired considerable land in the vicinity of Albany, New York. His life changed, both administratively and personally, when in 1774, Sir William Johnson died suddenly, and Sir Guy Carleton replaced Claus with John Campbell. Shortly thereafter, with the outbreak of the American Revolution and the subsequent defeat of Burgoyne at Saratoga, the Loyalist cause in the upper Hudson valley was lost, and Claus and his family fled to Canada, leaving behind their lands and their possessions. In 1778, Frederick Haldimand, Carleton’s successor, appointed Claus deputy agent of the Six Nations in Canada, with special emphasis on the Mohawks. In this hurriedly written letter (probably the original draft of the letter, containing many manuscript corrections), which pertains to one Peter Hansen, "active in ye Rebellion," whom the Indians had taken for the British "for intelligence," Claus also mentions in an afterthought: "The Mohawk Village here is somewhat sickly within this short time." $5750. The Clinton-Cornwallis Pamphlet War 35. [Clinton, Henry, and Charles Cornwallis]: [SAMMELBAND OF THREE PAMPHLETS BY BRITISH REVOLUTIONARY WAR GENERALS SIR HENRY CLINTON AND LORD CHARLES CORNWALLIS, EACH DEFENDING THEIR CONDUCT IN NORTH AMERICA]. London: J. Debrett, 1783. Three volumes bound in one, as described below. Modern three quarter morocco and marbled boards, spine gilt, t.e.g . An occasional light fox mark or instance of soiling, but on the whole, near fine; untrimmed. This sammelband contains three of the four controversial texts at the heart of a "pamphlet war" between Sir Henry Clinton and Lord Cornwallis occasioned by the British defeat at Yorktown. Essentially, Clinton blamed Cornwallis for the American victory, while Cornwallis maintained that he was simply following Clinton’s orders. The first item is in the sixth edition, and the other two are first editions. The pamphlets were all printed in 1783 by J. Debrett, and are: 1) Clinton, Henry: The Narrative of Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Clinton, K.B. Relative to His Conduct During Part of His Command of the King’s Troops in North America.... [4],11pp. Half title. The sixth edition, printed the same year as the first. Clinton touched off the fire-storm by publishing this condemnatory account of Cornwallis’ actions, placing the blame for the Yorktown defeat squarely on his shoulders. If Clinton had his druthers, Cornwallis would never have been in Virginia. "Lord Cornwallis’s quitting of the Carolinas where I had left him in command, and marching into Virginia; a measure, I must say, determined upon without my approbation, and very contrary to my wishes and intentions...the danger of which, without a covering fleet, I had constantly represented to him." SABIN 13751. AMERICAN CONTROVERSY 83-21g. HOWES C496. RICE 428 (a similar set of these three titles). STREETER SALE 800 (the first and second titles only). 2) Cornwallis, Charles: An Answer to That Part of the Narrative...Which Relates to the Conduct of Lieutenant-General Earl Cornwallis, During the Campaign in North America, in the Year 1781. 260pp. plus folding table and errata slip (not found with all copies). Lacks the 4pp. of ads. Cornwallis felt his orders from Clinton, as well as assurances that he would be relieved, excused him from blame. He writes: "When the arrival of the French Fleet, and the approach of General Washington, were known to Sir Henry Clinton, it will by the Correspondence, that his promises of relief in person were uniform; without giving me the smallest particle of discretionary power, different from holding the posts that I occupied." SABIN 16811. AMERICAN CONTROVERSY 83-29. HOWES C781, "aa." 3) Clinton, Henry: Observations on Some Parts of the Answer of Earl Cornwallis to Sir Henry Clinton’s Narrative.... [4],35,[1],113,[1]pp. plus folding table. Half title. Clinton responds by claiming that whether or not Cornwallis expected relief, he still mismanaged his own defense. For example, Clinton labels Cornwallis’ purposeful destruction of his supply train to speed their retreat from Cowpens a "Tartar move." AMERICAN CONTROVERSY 83-22. SABIN 13754. HOWES C499. A reply to Clinton’s second pamphlet, issued anonymously but attributed to Cornwallis, is not included in the present collection. A fine sammelband, containing most of the Clinton-Cornwallis pamphlet war, in an attractive modern binding and in untrimmed condition. $1250. 36. [Clinton, Henry]: MEMORANDUMS, &c. &c. RESPECTING THE UNPRECEDENTED TREATMENT WHICH THE ARMY HAVE MET WITH RESPECTING PLUNDER TAKEN AFTER A SIEGE, AND OF WHICH PLUNDER THE NAVY SERVING WITH THE ARMY DIVIDED THEIR MORE THAN AMPLE SHARE, NOW FOURTEEN YEARS SINCE. London. 1794. [4], 106pp. plus 8pp. of book ads. Half title. Gathered signatures, stitched as issued. Half title and verso of final leaf lightly soiled, but internally clean, fresh, and near fine. Untrimmed. This document concerns a dispute between the British Navy and the British Army over American property usurped at Charleston, printing correspondence between Sir Henry Clinton and British military officers. "Concerning capture of Charleston and sale of American property" – Howes. Not in Sabin. HOWES C495, "aa." $750.37. Clinton, Henry: OBSERVATIONS ON MR. STEDMAN’S HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN WAR. London. 1794. [2],ii,34pp. Quarto. Gathered signatures, stitched as issued. Titlepage and final page a trifle soiled, else a near fine copy, untrimmed. Clinton defends his own conduct, as he feels it is misrepresented by Stedman. An important addition to one of the basic histories of the Revolution. HOWES C498. SABIN 13753. $750."I have not yet begun to fight!": 38. [After] Collett, John: PAUL JONES SHOOTING A SAILOR WHO HAD ATTEMPTED TO STRIKE HIS COLOURS IN AN ENGAGEMENT. FROM THE ORIGINAL PICTURE BY JOHN COLLET [sic], IN THE POSSESSION OF CARRINGTON BOWLES. London: Carrington Bowles Map and Print Warehouse, No. 69 in St. Pauls Church Yard, Dec. 2, 1779. Mezzotint on paper with original hand-coloring, after the painting by John Collett. Image and caption measuring 13 3/4 x 9 3/4 inches within plate mark, with wide margins. Sheet size: 15 1/8 x 11 3/8 inches. The print has some very minor toning, just a few insignificant spots in the image background, but mostly in the margins; overall beautiful original color, and in excellent condition. Nicely matted. The first of three versions of this British satirical war print, each titled the same but with slightly varying images. It depicts Captain John Paul Jones during the sea battle between the H.M.S. Serapis and his U.S. fighting ship, Bonhomme Richard, "preventing" one of his men from striking the American flag and surrendering to the British. John "The Second Hogarth" Collett depicts an impassioned Jones, here wearing a lavishly plumed, rather French looking hat and a bandana, four pistols stuck pirate-style in his belt, cutlass at the ready tucked under his left arm, in as bloody a mis-en-scene as possible, the American naval captain trampling through the wounded and over the body of a dead sailor in order to shoot, with a fifth pistol, his chief gunner, Henry Gardner, in the chin. Except in the fantasies of the British, who hated Jones, this incident never took place and is considered an exaggeration of an incident that happened during the encounter in which a shell-shocked American gunner shouted for quarter until Jones knocked him down with the butt of a pistol. The truth behind this wild shipboard fight is no less interesting than the satire: "Near midnight on Sept. 23, 1779, just off the coast of Flamborough Head, England, hundreds of British stood in awe, watching ‘pirate Paul Jones’ destroy one of the finest ships in their fine navy. The English viewed Jones as a criminal, equating his vicious attacks on British convoys with the fighting techniques of Blackbeard himself. On that clear warm autumn night, the shocked audience witnessed Jones in one of the most hard-fought battles of the Revolution. "Meanwhile, the surviving seamen of the 42-gun Bonhomme Richard must have thought their commander, Capt. John Paul Jones, had gone insane. Separated by two feet, the double deck HMS Serapis, a well-made and brand new British escort ship, was shooting 18-pound cannon balls into the 14-year-old single deck Bonhomme Richard; cannon balls that from 200 yards could shoot through four feet of oak. Near the battle’s end, half the crewmates on each ship were dead, there were three or four inches of blood and guts on the high deck of Bonhomme Richard and both ships were on fire. Capt. Pearson, commander of Serapis assumed Bonhomme Richard would be the first to surrender. He asked Jones, ‘Do you strike?’ According to battle expert Peter Reaveley, Jones screamed out, ‘No! I’ll sink, but I’m damned if I’ll strike!’ The following quotation is more famously noted as Jones’ retort: ‘I have not yet begun to fight!’ The battle established the Continental Navy as a powerful force and Capt. John Paul Jones as a hero" – Joanna Romansic. "Principally a caricaturist, John Collett (British, ca.1725-1780) studied with the artist George Lambert and at the St. Martin’s Lane Academy, London. He exhibited at the Free Society of Artists from 1761, his last exhibit occurring posthumously in 1783. His caricatures owe a great debt to Hogarth...Collett’s drawings are usually recognizable by their thick black outlines. They are often quite charming, if a little coarsely drawn. His work was widely reproduced as prints by many of the leading publishers of the day, John Boydell, Carington Bowles, and others. This has contributed to his posthumous reputation as a caricaturist...A large inheritance allowed him to live in some style in Chelsea, London. Examples of his work may be seen in the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum" – Thomas Deans. Carrington Bowles flourished in late 18th-century London as a publisher of caricatures engraved in mezzotint. As with this image, prints in the Bowles inventories were usually unsigned by the engraver. His regular practice was to commission and thus own a painting, then make prints of it for sale to the public under the Bowles imprimatur. This print is described as "excessively rare" in the catalogue of the Hampton L. Carson Collection of Engraved Portraits of American Naval Commanders. At the 1904 auction of the Carson collection a copy of this mezzotint appeared as lot 4297 and sold for $50 – quite a sum for its day. A rare and eminently displayable 18th-century war print with a satiric edge. Joanna Romansic, "NHC Joins Search for John Paul Jones’ Ship," Oct. 20, 2005, dcmilitary.com. S.V. Henkels, comp., Hampton L. Carson Collection of Engraved Portraits of American Naval Commanders... Catalog and Sale (Philadelphia, 1905), lot 4297. Thomas Deans Fine Art Website, www.british-watercolors.com. OLDS 466. SHADWELL, AMERICAN PRINTMAKING THE FIRST 150 YEARS, 65. SMITH, AMERICAN NAVAL BROADSIDES 23. GROLIER, THE UNITED STATES NAVY 1776 TO 1815, 269 (uncolored issue). $17,500. 39. [Constitutions]: RECUEIL DES LOIX CONSTITUTIVES DES COLONIES ANGLOISES, CONFEDEREES SOUS LA DENOMINATION D’ETATS-UNIS DE L’AMERIQUE-SEPTENTRIONALE. AUQUEL ON A JOINT LES ACTES DU CONGRES GENERAL, TRADUIT DE L’ANGLOIS.... Philadelphia [i.e. Paris]. 1778. [8],370pp. 12mo. Contemporary calf, rebacked in modern gilt-stamped calf. Neat armorial bookplate on front pastedown. Internally near fine. A very good copy. The earliest collection of the constitutions of the constituent American states published in France, and the predecessor for the more generally known translation by the Duc de la Rochefoucauld of The Constitutions of The Several Independent States of America (Philadelphia, 1781 and Paris, 1783). This work was compiled by Regnier, and dedicated via a letter herein printed to Benjamin Franklin, who ordered the printing of the 1783 collection. Also included is an exceptionally early appearance in book form, in French, of the Declaration of Independence. An important early gathering. HOWES R111, "aa." $1750.America’s Magna Carta 40. [Constitutions]: CONSTITUTIONS DES TREIZE ÉTATS-UNIS DE L’AMÉRIQUE. A Philadelphie; et se trouve à Paris.... 1783. [2], 540pp. Contemporary French cat’s paw calf, spine richly gilt in six compartments, gilt morocco label. Minor wear to upper portion of hinges. A touch of soiling on the final three leaves, else internally clean and bright. A fine and very lovely copy. The Franklin-inspired French edition of the constitutions of the original thirteen states of the newly created United States of America. Only 600 copies were printed for Franklin, of which 100 were on large paper. Franklin was then ambassador to the French Court and had just completed negotiations with Great Britain for the independence of the United States. The work was translated by the Duc de la Rochefoucauld at Franklin’s suggestion and includes over fifty footnote annotations by the latter. "Franklin’s grand gesture in publishing and distributing these constitutions, about which there was an intense interest and curiosity among statesmen, was one of his chief achievements as propagandist for the new American republic" – Streeter. Also included are the Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, and the treaties between the United States and France, the Low Countries, and Sweden. The titlepage bears the first appearance in a book of the seal of the United States designed by Franklin (the eagle, stars, and stripes). HOWES C716, "aa." SABIN 16118. LIVINGSTON, FRANKLIN & HIS PRESS AT PASSY, pp.181-88. STREETER SALE 1035. $3750.Electing the Delegates 41. [Continental Congress]: ADVERTISEMENT. AT A GENERAL MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE OF MECHANICKS, AT THE HOUSE OF EDWARD BARDIN...THE NOMINATION OF THE COMMITTEE OF MERCHANTS, OF DELEGATES TO SERVE AT THE GENERAL CONGRESS.... [New York. 1774]. Broadside, 5¾ x 6¼ inches. Backed on linen. Early roman numeral inked on verso, showing through slightly on recto, else near fine. In a half morocco box. Revolutionary broadside, dated July 6, 1774, announcing the New York Committee of Mechanics’ nominations for delegates to serve at the Continental Congress. The broadside refers to the Committee of Merchants’ five nominations of the previous evening (matching those of the Committee of Correspondence announced at the same time), supporting its nominations of Philip Livingston, John Jay, and Isaac Low, and rejecting those of the more conservative James Duane and John Alsop. In place of Duane and Alsop, the Committee of Mechanics here nominates Leonard Lispenard and Alexander McDougall. The following day, at City Hall, the New York voting public selected the original five nominees to represent the city and county of New York at Philadelphia. Evans lists only two copies, at the Library of Congress and the New-York Historical Society. Very rare. EVANS 13093. $6750.New York Nominates Its Delegation to the First Continental Congress 42. [Continental Congress]: ADVERTISEMENT. THE COMMITTEE OF CORRESPONDENCE IN NEW-YORK, HAVING...PROCEEDED TO THE NOMINATION OF FIVE PERSONS TO GO AS DELEGATES...ON THE PROPOSED CONGRESS AT PHILADELPHIA.... [New York. 1774]. Broadside, 5½ x 6½ inches. Backed on linen. Near fine. In a half morocco and cloth box. This broadside, signed in print by Isaac Low as Chairman of the New York Committee of Correspondence, announces that the Committee has nominated Philip Livingstone, James Duane, John Alsop, John Jay, and Isaac Low to represent New York at the first Continental Congress. The document is dated July 5, 1774, and calls for a meeting of New Yorkers at City Hall on the 7th to "approve of the said five Persons as Delegates, or to choose such other in their Sead [i.e., Stead], as to their Wisdom shall seem meet." Great controversy surrounded the nomination of conservative James Duane, but all five nominees ultimately were chosen as the delegates from the city and county of New York, together with four other delegates representing the rest of the state. An important Revolutionary broadside, announcing the selection of New York’s delegation to the Congress. Scarce, with only four copies recorded between Evans, Shipton & Mooney, and NUC. EVANS 13094. $5000.First Documents of Revolution 43. [Continental Congress]: EXTRACTS FROM THE VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN CONTINENTAL CONGRESS, HELD AT PHILADELPHIA ON THE 5th OF SEPTEMBER 1774. CONTAINING THE BILL OF RIGHTS, A LIST OF GRIEVANCES, OCCASIONAL RESOLVES, THE ASSOCIATION...PUBLISHED BY ORDER OF THE CONGRESS. Philadelphia: Printed by William and Thomas Bradford, 1774. [4],23,36pp. Half title. Modern cloth, leather label. Unobtrusive ex-lib. stamps on titlepage and three other leaves. Else a very good, fresh copy with wide margins. One of the most significant documents of the American Revolution, condensing the most important proceedings of the First Continental Congress between Sept. 5 and Oct. 26, 1774. This publishes the Declaration of Rights, passed Oct. 14, by which Congress asserts the colonists’ rights as Englishmen and claims they were violated by the Stamp Act; the Townsend Act; the Coercive Acts; and the Quebec Acts. It further asserts their right to peaceably assemble and have their own legislatures. The Declaration is followed by the Association, by which the colonies bound themselves to an agreement regarding non-importation, non-exportation, and non-consumption of British goods, and resolved to reassemble the following May if wrongs had not been redressed. This is followed by two addresses, one to the people of Great Britain and the other to the inhabitants of the colonies, justifying the conduct of the Congress. These actions laid the basis for American resistance and organized rebellion which escalated into open warfare in the spring of 1775. Needless to say, the actions of the Continental Congress were of the greatest interest in the colonies, and these Extracts... were published first in Philadelphia while Congress was still sitting. The Bradfords printed multiple editions in October, the first with the date of October 24th in the imprint line, and two others with "October 27th" in the same spot. The copy in hand is one of the latter issues. Printings followed in Albany, Annapolis, Boston, Hartford, Lancaster, New London, New York, Newport, Norwich, and Providence, all in 1774. HOWES E247. EVANS 13715. SABIN 15528. $16,500.The Proceedings 44. [Continental Congress]: EXTRACTS FROM THE VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN CONTINENTAL CONGRESS, HELD AT PHILADELPHIA, ON THE FIFTH OF SEPTEMBER, 1774.... Philadelphia, Printed; London, Reprinted: J. Almon, 1774. 82pp. plus [2]pp. of ads. [with:] JOURNAL OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE CONGRESS, HELD AT PHILADELPHIA, SEPTEMBER 5th, 1774.... London: J. Almon, 1775. Half title. [2],66, [2]pp. Extracts... with some marginal dampstaining of last few leaves and soiling on first leaf. Overall very good. The two works, each disbound, laid in a single half red morocco case, black leather labels, raised bands. The Extracts... is a British edition, in abbreviated form, of the widely reprinted synopsis of the important actions of the First Continental Congress, including the Bill of Rights, the List of Grievances, the Association, the Address to the People of Great Britain, and the Memorial to the Inhabitants of the British American Colonies. It was originally published the same year as the Journals.... "The forerunner of the Declaration of Independence" – Howes. The Journal..., the second work bound herein, supplies the parts of the original Journals... which were omitted from the Extracts.... There were two British editions of the Journals... published the same year, the other by Dilly. HOWES E247. AMERICAN CONTROVERSY 74-83c, 74-84c. SABIN 15528, 15544. $2750.The Continental Congress Tries 45. [Continental Congress]: A LETTER TO THE INHABITANTS OF THE PROVINCE OF QUEBEC. EXTRACT FROM THE MINUTES OF THE CONGRESS. Philadelphia: Printed by William and Thomas Bradford, October 1774. [2],37-50pp. Dbd. Text leaves loose. Early ownership signatures on titlepage. Small chip at head of titlepage, not affecting text, closed tear in upper margin of first text leaf. Lightly tanned and soiled. Good. The extremely rare separate printing of the appeal from the Continental Congress to the people of the province of Quebec, inviting their fellow British subjects to attend the Continental Congress to be held in Philadelphia in May 1775. The text is most often attributed to John Dickinson, though Paul Leicester Ford says it was penned by Richard Henry Lee. The offer was written in the wake of the Quebec Act, passed in the spring of 1774, which offered Canadians a larger degree of self-government and autonomy. The British Crown hoped that this act would keep the Canadians from siding with the Americans should a revolution break out in the thirteen colonies. The American colonists, however, considered the Quebec Act one of the "Intolerable Acts," and while it may have pacified Canadians it only served to inflame sentiment in America. The text of the Letter... lists the rights that the Americans say have been trampled by the British authorities, and invites the people of Quebec to send delegates to the May 1775 meeting of the Continental Congress. The text also notes that while the Quebecois practice the Roman Catholic religion, that difference should not preclude them from working together with the largely Protestant Americans. This copy bears the ownership signature on the titlepage of several important members of the Leeds family of Maryland, including the astronomer and judge John Leeds (1705-80); the author and lawyer John Leeds Bozman (1757-1823); Bozman’s nephew, the politician John Leeds Kerr (1780-1844); and Kerr’s son, the lawyer and politician John Bozman Kerr (1809-78). This letter was also published as part of the Extracts of the Votes and Proceedings of the American Continental Congress, printed by Bradford in 1774. This separate edition of the letter to the citizens of Quebec is extremely rare, and evaded the notice of the bibliographer Charles Evans, who did not miss many pieces of this caliber. It survives in a handful of copies. NAIP w015271. BRISTOL B3889. SHIPTON & MOONEY 42732. FORD, CONTINENTAL CONGRESS 7. HILDEBURN 3046. SABIN 40489. $15,000.Carrying Out 46. [Continental Congress]: AN ACT FOR THE CARRYING INTO EXECUTION A RESOLVE OF THE AMERICAN CONGRESS, FOR ASCERTAINING THE NUMBER OF INHABITANTS IN THIS COLONY [caption title]. [Watertown, Ma.: Printed by Benjamin Edes, 1776]. Broadside, 17¼ x 7 inches. Light signs of old creases. Very clean, with contemporary manuscript inscription on blank verso. A very fine copy. Archival matting, and protected with mylar sheet. A seminal document, publishing an act passed by the Massachusetts legislature to execute a census of the state just months before the Declaration of Independence. This legislative action followed a recommendation by the American Congress to "the several assemblies...of the respective colonies, [to] ascertain by the most impartial and effectual means in their power, the number of inhabitants in the colonies respectively." Selectmen for each town in the colony were empowered to "take an exact account of the number of inhabitants of all ages, including Negroes and Molattoes (distinguishing the number of each) resident in their respective towns and belonging to this colony." The legislators responsible for the bill sought to produce as complete and accurate an accounting as possible. Soldiers and seamen who were residents of towns when they entered active service were to be counted, as were inhabitants of unincorporated areas, and special provisions were also made for recording the inhabitants in Berkshire, Hampshire, York, Cumberland, and Lincoln counties. Penalties for those selectmen or individuals not cooperating with the census are also indicated. A rare Massachusetts broadside in very fine condition. NAIP records copies at Harvard and Massachusetts Historical Society while Ford notes a copy in the Massachusetts Archives. OCLC records only microform and digital facsimiles. EVANS 14849. FORD, MASSACHUSETTS BROADSIDES 2011. CUSHING 922. NAIP w014979. $9500.A Complete Set 47. [Continental Congress]: [A COMPLETE SET OF THE JOURNALS OF CONGRESS. CONTAINING THE PROCEEDINGS FROM SEPT. 5 1774 TO THE 3rd DAY OF NOVEMBER, 1788. PUBLISHED BY ORDER OF CONGRESS]. Philadelphia. 1777-88. Thirteen volumes. All but ninth volume in contemporary sheep, spines stamped (final four volumes misnumbered on spines), old paper labels or remnants thereof on most spines; ninth volume in contemporary calf, gilt morocco label (chipped). First, second, and tenth volumes with contemporary wastepaper (from the Pennsylvania Magazine or other sources); several volumes with the paper label of the Canterbury (N.H.) Social Library on the front pastedown. Moderate wear to the bindings. First volume titlepage trimmed a bit close, but not costing any text. Lightly tanned, an occasional stain, but quite clean overall. A very good set, in matching cloth clamshell boxes, leather labels. This set was once owned by Abiel Foster of New Hampshire, with his presentation to the Canterbury Social Library noted on the bookplate on the front pastedown of several volumes. Foster (1735-1806) was born in Andover, Massachusetts, graduated from Harvard in 1756, studied theology and was ordained and installed as a pastor in Canterbury, New Hampshire, where he preached from 1761 to 1779. He was a member of the Continental Congress from 1783 to 1785, and served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1789 to 1791, and again from 1795 to 1803. He also served in New Hampshire state government. A complete set of the Journals of the Continental Congress, remarkably difficult to assemble. These Journals contain the most vital documents from the Revolutionary period through the end of the Confederacy, and culminate with the adoption of the federal Constitution in 1788. They are an essential basis for any comprehensive collection of the Revolution and early National period. Shortly after the Declaration of Independence, Congress recognized the necessity of publishing its proceedings on a timely basis. These volumes appeared in more or less annual volumes, but in inconsistent formats, and from three different printers: Robert Aitken, John Dunlap, and David Claypoole. A tradition had already been established by the separate publication of the Journals of the First and Second Continental Congresses in 1774 and 1775. The first volume of this series, begun after the Declaration of Independence, reprinted those journals, and was issued concurrently with the second volume, both appearing from the press of Robert Aitken in 1777. The second volume included a printing of the Declaration. John Dunlap, printer of the original Declaration broadside, issued the third volume in 1778. David Claypoole was the printer of the fourth through eighth volumes. Dunlap resumed as the printer for the ninth through the thirteenth volumes. The volumes issued thus cover the entire span of the Continental Congress, beginning in 1774, through the Revolutionary years, and on to the period from the Peace in 1783 to the adoption of the Constitution. The final session sat through November 1788, and the new federal government began in April 1789. The dates, printers, years of publication, and pagination of the individual volumes, follow: 1) 1774-76. Aitken. 1777. [2],310,[12]pp. EVANS 15683. 2) 1776. Aitken. 1777. [2],513,[22]pp. EVANS 15684. 3) 1777. Dunlap. [1778]. [2],603,xxii,[12]pp. EVANS 16138. 4) 1778. Claypoole. [1779]. [2],748,[2],lxxxix,[4]pp. (with fourth page of appendix affixed to rear board). EVANS 16584. 5) 1779. Claypoole. [1780]. 464,[15]pp. No index. EVANS 17766. 6) 1780. Claypoole. [1780]. 403,[38],[3]pp. EVANS 17392. 7) 1781. Claypoole. 1781. 522,[4],lxxix pp. EVANS 17767. 8) 1783. Claypoole. 1783. 483pp. EVANS 18266. 9) 1784. Dunlap. [1784]. 317pp. No index. EVANS 18840. 10) 1785. Dunlap. 1785. 368[1],xxvi pp. EVANS 19316. 11) 1786. Dunlap. 1786. 267pp. No index. EVANS 20068. 12) 1787. Dunlap. 1787. 255,[1],[9]pp. EVANS 20772. 13) 1788. Dunlap. 1788. 170,xcviii,[2],xi pp. EVANS 21526. The Journals are one of the most vital records of the Revolutionary and Confederation period. A complete set such as this, in the original volumes, is virtually unobtainable today. This set is all the more desirable for having belonged to a member of the Continental Congress, and a member of the first class of the House of Representatives. A foundation document of the American Republic. EVANS 15683, 15684, 16138, 16584, 17766, 17392, 17767, 18226, 18840, 19316, 20068, 20772, 21526. DAB XI, p.327. $97,500.48. [Continental Congress]: JOURNAL OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF CONGRESS, HELD AT PHILADELPHIA, FROM SEPTEMBER 5, 1775 TO APRIL 30, 1776. London. 1778. 202pp. printed in double-column format. Contemporary marbled boards, expertly rebacked in calf, leather label, raised bands. Boards worn. Neat bookplate. Very good, untrimmed and largely unopened. The first British edition of these crucial journals, covering the proceedings after the outbreak of hostilities, but before the writing of the Declaration of Independence. AMERICAN CONTROVERSY 78-110. SABIN 15547. $2250.A Complete Set 49. [Continental Congress]: JOURNALS OF CONGRESS, FROM JANUARY 1st, 1780, TO JANUARY 1st, 1781. PUBLISHED BY ORDER OF CONGRESS. Philadelphia: Printed by David C. Claypoole, [1780]. 403,[3],xxxviii,[6]pp. (twelve monthly parts, continuously paginated). Printed self-wrappers, cleanly restitched with modern thread. Occasional faint dampstains in margins, else clean, bright, and fine, untrimmed, with a few gatherings unopened. In a half morocco box. The complete annual volume of the Journals of Congress for 1780, in the original monthly parts. From April to December 1779, the Continental Congress issued its proceedings weekly, reprinting them at the end of the year for the annual volume. A more economical method of producing the Journals was adopted in 1780, during which the proceedings were printed monthly, with continuous pagination, and then gathered for the annual volume with a separately printed title. 1780 was the only year in which the journals of the Continental Congress were published in this manner, and the present collection comprises the complete set for the year, together with the series title, a detailed index, and a three-page appendix covering government expenditures for the year stitched with the December issue. Evans assigns numbers to the 1780 Journals both as a set (17392) and as parts, which are listed as follow: Journals of Congress, for January, 1780. [3]-38,[2]pp. EVANS 17026. Journals of Congress, for February, 1780. [41]-73,[1]pp. EVANS 17027. Journals of Congress, for March, 1780. [75]-106pp. EVANS 17028. Journals of Congress, for April, 1780. 107-131pp. EVANS 17029. Journals of Congress, for May, 1780. 132-162,[1]pp. EVANS 17030. Journals of Congress, for June, 1780. [164]-198,[1]pp. EVANS 17031. Journals of Congress, for July, 1780. [200]-237,[1]pp. EVANS 17032. Journals of Congress, for August, 1780. [239]-274pp. EVANS 17033. Journals of Congress, for September, 1780. [275]-314pp. EVANS 17034. Journals of Congress, for October, 1780. [315]-349,[1]pp. EVANS 17035. Journals of Congress, for November, 1780. [351]-384,[2]pp. EVANS 17036. Journals of Congress, for December, 1780. [2],[385]-403,[3],xxxviii,[6]pp. (including series title). EVANS 17037. A complete set of essential Revolutionary War-period documents, in original parts and remarkably fine condition. EVANS 17392. HILDEBURN 4116. $17,500. |
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