1815-1816 Tobias Lear—George Washington’s Private Secretary—Three Signed War Department Letters
An unusually cohesive archive of three War Department letters signed by Tobias Lear (1762–1816), George Washington’s longtime private secretary, trusted confidant and the man who recorded Washington’s final moments at Mount Vernon.
The letters were issued from the War Department Accountant’s Office between May 1815 and January 1816, during Lear’s final government appointment. Two are addressed to Robert Brent, Paymaster of the United States Army, and concern the settlement of military recruiting accounts, the recovery of advances and balances due to the United States. The third acknowledges receipt of an Ordnance Department officer’s accounts and vouchers for examination.
One letter directs Brent to withhold money from the pay of soldiers connected with the account of Lieutenant John W. Bininger of the 12th Infantry. Another reports that Lieutenant Benjamin Bininger was chargeable with a balance of $319. Together, the papers illuminate the government’s detailed financial reckoning following the War of 1812.
Each document bears a bold full signature, “Tobias Lear.” The bodies were prepared by War Department clerks and personally signed by Lear. Contemporary docketing survives on the versos.
Lear entered Washington’s household in 1786 and became far more than a conventional secretary. He handled Washington’s correspondence and private business, lived within the presidential household, maintained close ties to Mount Vernon and was at Washington’s bedside when the former president died in 1799. Lear subsequently represented the United States abroad, negotiated the Treaty of Tripoli and ended his career overseeing military accounts at the War Department.
Expected folds, toning, staining, edge wear and localized paper losses, particularly to the January 1816 letter. The signatures remain dark and visually impressive.
More info...
These are three related War Department letters signed by Tobias Lear (1762–1816), written during his final government service as accountant of the War Department. Each has a clerical body but bears Lear’s strong full autograph signature, making them letters signed (LS) rather than autograph letters entirely in his hand.
Lear was George Washington’s intimate secretary and trusted associate, serving in Washington’s household beginning in 1786. He managed Washington’s correspondence and personal affairs, lived with the presidential household, remained closely connected with Mount Vernon, and was present at Washington’s death on December 14, 1799—recording Washington’s final words, “’Tis well.” He later served as a diplomat in the Mediterranean and negotiated the 1805 Treaty of Tripoli. His final appointment was in the War Department. George Washington’s Mount Vernon, University of Michigan—Tobias Lear Papers
Document 1 — January 30, 1816
Department of War, Accountant’s Office, January 30, 1816. Letter addressed to an officer whose name appears to be Captain J. H. Rees of the Ordnance Department.
Sir,
I have rec’d your letter of the 27th Inst. accompanied by your accounts & vouchers to 31st Dec’r 1815 which shall be duly examined & the result made known to you.
Respectfully,
Your Ob’t Serv’t
Tobias Lear
This is a routine acknowledgment that the officer’s accounts and supporting vouchers through December 31, 1815, had been received for examination.
Document 2 — May 3, 1815
War Department, Accountant’s Office, May 3, 1815. Addressed to Robert Brent, Esquire, Paymaster of the Army.
Lear reports the settlement of an officer’s recruiting account and authorizes stoppages from the pay of four soldiers:
- William Simpson — 12 days — $13.00
- John Johnson — 12 days — $25.00
- Benjamin Smith — 12 days — $13.50
The opening appears to read:
On settlement of the Recruiting [account] of Lieut. John W. Bininger, 12th Inf’y, he has been credited for amounts advanced in purchasing and apprehending the following deserters…
Lear concludes:
Which please stop from their pay respectively, & as to reimburse the United States—
I am respectfully, Sir,
Your Ob’t Serv’t
Tobias Lear
The verso contains contemporary War Department docketing identifying Tobias Lear, Accountant, War Department, May 3, 1815.
Document 3 — November 11, 1815
Department of War, Accountant’s Office, November 11, 1815. Also addressed to Robert Brent, Esquire, paymaster of the army.
Sir,
Lt. Benj’a Bininger is chargeable with a balance of three hundred & nineteen Dollars ($319 Dollars).
Respectfully,
Your Ob’t Serv’t
Tobias Lear
The accounting notation apparently divides the $319 balance into amounts to be withheld or recovered, including approximately $300 in bounty money and $19 in another account, though that annotation should be described cautiously until examined at higher resolution.
Historical significance
Although these do not concern Washington or Mount Vernon directly, they represent Lear’s final public office and date from the immediate aftermath of the War of 1812. The papers illustrate the federal government’s efforts to settle military accounts, recover advances, reconcile recruiting expenditures, and close the accounts of soldiers and officers.
The University of Michigan’s description of the Tobias Lear Papers specifically notes that Lear’s 1815–1816 correspondence includes numerous letters dealing with the settlement of War of 1812 officers’ accounts, many addressed to Robert Brent. That makes these three documents a particularly coherent surviving group rather than three unrelated signatures. University of Michigan finding aid
Condition
The documents retain bold, attractive Tobias Lear signatures. They show expected mailing folds, toning, edge wear, scattered staining and contemporary docketing. The January 1816 letter has paper loss and remnants of an old attachment at the lower-left corner. The May 1815 letter has edge losses and ink transfer or docketing intrusion along the sides. The November letter is comparatively strong but has fold wear and scattered stains. These faults are noticeable but consistent with working War Department papers more than two centuries old.
An unusually cohesive archive of three War Department letters signed by Tobias Lear (1762–1816), George Washington’s longtime private secretary, trusted confidant and the man who recorded Washington’s final moments at Mount Vernon.
The letters were issued from the War Department Accountant’s Office between May 1815 and January 1816, during Lear’s final government appointment. Two are addressed to Robert Brent, Paymaster of the United States Army, and concern the settlement of military recruiting accounts, the recovery of advances and balances due to the United States. The third acknowledges receipt of an Ordnance Department officer’s accounts and vouchers for examination.
One letter directs Brent to withhold money from the pay of soldiers connected with the account of Lieutenant John W. Bininger of the 12th Infantry. Another reports that Lieutenant Benjamin Bininger was chargeable with a balance of $319. Together, the papers illuminate the government’s detailed financial reckoning following the War of 1812.
Each document bears a bold full signature, “Tobias Lear.” The bodies were prepared by War Department clerks and personally signed by Lear. Contemporary docketing survives on the versos.
Lear entered Washington’s household in 1786 and became far more than a conventional secretary. He handled Washington’s correspondence and private business, lived within the presidential household, maintained close ties to Mount Vernon and was at Washington’s bedside when the former president died in 1799. Lear subsequently represented the United States abroad, negotiated the Treaty of Tripoli and ended his career overseeing military accounts at the War Department.
Expected folds, toning, staining, edge wear and localized paper losses, particularly to the January 1816 letter. The signatures remain dark and visually impressive.
More info...
These are three related War Department letters signed by Tobias Lear (1762–1816), written during his final government service as accountant of the War Department. Each has a clerical body but bears Lear’s strong full autograph signature, making them letters signed (LS) rather than autograph letters entirely in his hand.
Lear was George Washington’s intimate secretary and trusted associate, serving in Washington’s household beginning in 1786. He managed Washington’s correspondence and personal affairs, lived with the presidential household, remained closely connected with Mount Vernon, and was present at Washington’s death on December 14, 1799—recording Washington’s final words, “’Tis well.” He later served as a diplomat in the Mediterranean and negotiated the 1805 Treaty of Tripoli. His final appointment was in the War Department. George Washington’s Mount Vernon, University of Michigan—Tobias Lear Papers
Document 1 — January 30, 1816
Department of War, Accountant’s Office, January 30, 1816. Letter addressed to an officer whose name appears to be Captain J. H. Rees of the Ordnance Department.
Sir,
I have rec’d your letter of the 27th Inst. accompanied by your accounts & vouchers to 31st Dec’r 1815 which shall be duly examined & the result made known to you.
Respectfully,
Your Ob’t Serv’t
Tobias Lear
This is a routine acknowledgment that the officer’s accounts and supporting vouchers through December 31, 1815, had been received for examination.
Document 2 — May 3, 1815
War Department, Accountant’s Office, May 3, 1815. Addressed to Robert Brent, Esquire, Paymaster of the Army.
Lear reports the settlement of an officer’s recruiting account and authorizes stoppages from the pay of four soldiers:
- William Simpson — 12 days — $13.00
- John Johnson — 12 days — $25.00
- Benjamin Smith — 12 days — $13.50
The opening appears to read:
On settlement of the Recruiting [account] of Lieut. John W. Bininger, 12th Inf’y, he has been credited for amounts advanced in purchasing and apprehending the following deserters…
Lear concludes:
Which please stop from their pay respectively, & as to reimburse the United States—
I am respectfully, Sir,
Your Ob’t Serv’t
Tobias Lear
The verso contains contemporary War Department docketing identifying Tobias Lear, Accountant, War Department, May 3, 1815.
Document 3 — November 11, 1815
Department of War, Accountant’s Office, November 11, 1815. Also addressed to Robert Brent, Esquire, paymaster of the army.
Sir,
Lt. Benj’a Bininger is chargeable with a balance of three hundred & nineteen Dollars ($319 Dollars).
Respectfully,
Your Ob’t Serv’t
Tobias Lear
The accounting notation apparently divides the $319 balance into amounts to be withheld or recovered, including approximately $300 in bounty money and $19 in another account, though that annotation should be described cautiously until examined at higher resolution.
Historical significance
Although these do not concern Washington or Mount Vernon directly, they represent Lear’s final public office and date from the immediate aftermath of the War of 1812. The papers illustrate the federal government’s efforts to settle military accounts, recover advances, reconcile recruiting expenditures, and close the accounts of soldiers and officers.
The University of Michigan’s description of the Tobias Lear Papers specifically notes that Lear’s 1815–1816 correspondence includes numerous letters dealing with the settlement of War of 1812 officers’ accounts, many addressed to Robert Brent. That makes these three documents a particularly coherent surviving group rather than three unrelated signatures. University of Michigan finding aid
Condition
The documents retain bold, attractive Tobias Lear signatures. They show expected mailing folds, toning, edge wear, scattered staining and contemporary docketing. The January 1816 letter has paper loss and remnants of an old attachment at the lower-left corner. The May 1815 letter has edge losses and ink transfer or docketing intrusion along the sides. The November letter is comparatively strong but has fold wear and scattered stains. These faults are noticeable but consistent with working War Department papers more than two centuries old.
