1777 Oliver Ellsworth & Jesse Root — Two Revolutionary War Pay Orders for Soldiers’ Clothing and Medical Care
Two manuscript Connecticut pay orders signed by future United States Chief Justice Oliver Ellsworth, documenting the practical demands of clothing and caring for Continental soldiers during the American Revolution.
The first, dated Hartford, May 26, 1777, directs Treasurer John Lawrence to pay Hartford’s selectmen three pounds two shillings for expenses associated with the sickness of a Continental soldier. Ellsworth’s bold signature appears below the order. On the reverse, a payment instruction names Mrs. Sarah Sloane, followed by a receipt dated May 27.
The second, dated Hartford, May 30, 1777, authorizes payment of ten pounds sixteen shillings nine pence to Tolland’s selectmen for clothing purchased for Continental soldiers, referencing Captain Hubbell’s company. It bears the distinctive signatures of Oliver Ellsworth and Jesse Root, with contemporary accounting and receipt endorsements on the reverse.
Ellsworth subsequently helped frame the Constitution, served in the first United States Senate, and became the principal author of the Judiciary Act of 1789 before his appointment as the nation’s third Chief Justice. Together, these documents connect a leading Founder with the everyday administration of the Revolutionary war effort.
Condition: Fold lines, light age toning and scattered spotting, with edge wear and small marginal tears or losses. The May 26 order exhibits conspicuous ink transfer or offsetting. Text and principal signatures remain clearly legible. Two separate documents, each bearing writing on both sides.
Two manuscript Connecticut pay orders signed by future United States Chief Justice Oliver Ellsworth, documenting the practical demands of clothing and caring for Continental soldiers during the American Revolution.
The first, dated Hartford, May 26, 1777, directs Treasurer John Lawrence to pay Hartford’s selectmen three pounds two shillings for expenses associated with the sickness of a Continental soldier. Ellsworth’s bold signature appears below the order. On the reverse, a payment instruction names Mrs. Sarah Sloane, followed by a receipt dated May 27.
The second, dated Hartford, May 30, 1777, authorizes payment of ten pounds sixteen shillings nine pence to Tolland’s selectmen for clothing purchased for Continental soldiers, referencing Captain Hubbell’s company. It bears the distinctive signatures of Oliver Ellsworth and Jesse Root, with contemporary accounting and receipt endorsements on the reverse.
Ellsworth subsequently helped frame the Constitution, served in the first United States Senate, and became the principal author of the Judiciary Act of 1789 before his appointment as the nation’s third Chief Justice. Together, these documents connect a leading Founder with the everyday administration of the Revolutionary war effort.
Condition: Fold lines, light age toning and scattered spotting, with edge wear and small marginal tears or losses. The May 26 order exhibits conspicuous ink transfer or offsetting. Text and principal signatures remain clearly legible. Two separate documents, each bearing writing on both sides.
