Future General Jacob Brown 1804 Land Archive to Gouverneur Morris—Brownville and St. Lawrence Settlement
Original 1804 manuscript archive documenting the early settlement and development of northern New York, associated with Jacob Jennings Brown, founder of Brownville and future commanding general of the United States Army during the War of 1812. Addressed to Gouverneur Morris, signer of the United States Constitution and principal author of its final wording and celebrated Preamble.
The principal letter, dated Brownville, September 13, 1804, discusses the selection of a route from the “Centre Lot of the Friends Purchase” toward the St. Lawrence River. Brown reports that settlers had examined the proposed route and considered it “as good a tract as can be found for the proposed road.”
Accompanying the letter is a detailed manuscript account of commissions earned from land sales made by Jacob Brown from approximately September 1804 through January 1805. The account lists numerous early settlers, individual lot numbers, acreage, sale prices and commissions. Named purchasers include Daniel Rees, Harris Martin, Thomas Ward, John Dickinson, William Whitlock, Lyman Mathews, Edward Brace, Isaac Bolton, Henry Cooper, David Lovell, Timothy Lovell and others.
The integral address wrapper is directed to “The Honble Gouverneur Morris Esqr., Morrisania, New York” and retains a portion of its original red wax seal. An early docket identifies the papers with Jacob Brown and describes the commissions on his land sales.
Brown was then serving as an energetic land agent and promoter of settlement in the Black River–St. Lawrence region. He later became one of America’s most important generals of the War of 1812, winning distinction at Sackett’s Harbor, Chippewa and Lundy’s Lane and eventually becoming commanding general of the United States Army.
Original folds, toning, fold separations and losses, including an irregular loss affecting the lower portion of the letter. The visible manuscript does not contain a conventional Jacob Brown signature; attribution rests upon the contemporary docket, address, content and documented Brown–Morris land relationship. Sold as an important Jacob Brown land-office archive, with handwriting authentication left to the purchaser.
Original 1804 manuscript archive documenting the early settlement and development of northern New York, associated with Jacob Jennings Brown, founder of Brownville and future commanding general of the United States Army during the War of 1812. Addressed to Gouverneur Morris, signer of the United States Constitution and principal author of its final wording and celebrated Preamble.
The principal letter, dated Brownville, September 13, 1804, discusses the selection of a route from the “Centre Lot of the Friends Purchase” toward the St. Lawrence River. Brown reports that settlers had examined the proposed route and considered it “as good a tract as can be found for the proposed road.”
Accompanying the letter is a detailed manuscript account of commissions earned from land sales made by Jacob Brown from approximately September 1804 through January 1805. The account lists numerous early settlers, individual lot numbers, acreage, sale prices and commissions. Named purchasers include Daniel Rees, Harris Martin, Thomas Ward, John Dickinson, William Whitlock, Lyman Mathews, Edward Brace, Isaac Bolton, Henry Cooper, David Lovell, Timothy Lovell and others.
The integral address wrapper is directed to “The Honble Gouverneur Morris Esqr., Morrisania, New York” and retains a portion of its original red wax seal. An early docket identifies the papers with Jacob Brown and describes the commissions on his land sales.
Brown was then serving as an energetic land agent and promoter of settlement in the Black River–St. Lawrence region. He later became one of America’s most important generals of the War of 1812, winning distinction at Sackett’s Harbor, Chippewa and Lundy’s Lane and eventually becoming commanding general of the United States Army.
Original folds, toning, fold separations and losses, including an irregular loss affecting the lower portion of the letter. The visible manuscript does not contain a conventional Jacob Brown signature; attribution rests upon the contemporary docket, address, content and documented Brown–Morris land relationship. Sold as an important Jacob Brown land-office archive, with handwriting authentication left to the purchaser.
