Lot 126
1776 (Jul. 8) "Carles Neck Staten Island Province of N.Y." to Edinburgh England, datelined folded letter from a British Officer with Howe's invasion of New York addressed to The Earl of Lauderdale, endorsed "free J Maitland", manuscript "NY" postmark and ratings, carried by warship to Portsmouth entering the mails with London "12 / AV" Bishop mark and manuscript "1N" and "In all 1N6" rating, part of flap missing, Fine, rated 1 shilling for the transatlantic packet plus 6 pence for British inland postage.
Estimate 5,000 - 7,500
The letter contains in part: "We left Halifax the 10th June & anchored at Sandy Hoock the 29th. On the first of July we ran up to a bay of Long Island where the Rabels thought we were going to Land & were very strong indeed. The next day we weighed & ran up to this Island where the Light Infantry & Granadiers Landed about Eight O'Clock at night we took possession…next morning before sun rise we Light Infantry Gentry marched on into the Country whilst more of the Troops were Landing we were not opposed… Our little Army are all now ashore & cantooned in & around the Island which is a very pretty one… We expect the Guards & Germains every hour… the Rabels have caught some Transports with Highlanders & I am afraid our friend Col. Arch. Campbell is taken & carried into Boston, there is a Major Menzies killed in the defense of one of the Transports in short I dare say we shall lose at least one Fourth of the Highland Bodys for want of Men of War to protect them the Rables carried a transport with Highland Men into Rhode Island the other day and marched them Three Miles to a Goal in the Country playing the Rogues March before them this has given great ofence to all the Highlanders of our Army & I think myself it was very impertiment."
The Rogue's March was a song traditionally used to escort prostitutes out of town (a British invention, not American, hence the depth of the insult to the Highlanders).
John Maitland, the 7th Earl of Lauderdale (hence the free franking privilege), was an important figure in the battles and occupations of Staten Island, New Brunswick and Charleston, where he died in 1780 of a fever. He was the only Parliamentarian to die while fighting in the Revolutionary War.
Staten Island fell to the British during the New York campaign in September 1776 and remained under British occupation through November 1783.
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| Realized $7,500 |
