New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-05-03

John Lansing. Il, the subscriber" It
runs, say that on or about the oath of
September, 1775, being on board the
Jasper Man of War, l see Colonel Allen
with a pair of Irons on his Legs and a
Century standing before him with n pis-
tol in his hand" This refers to the
treatment of Allen after his capture by
the British and their discovery that he
was the man who took Fort Ticonderoga
There are number of documents by
| Benedict Arnold in his own handwriting
among them one telling Of the construc-
ton of vessels in 1776 for Lake Cham
| plain and others describing his opera
| items against the British in that vicin-
ity. Even more remote than these let
tiers are others. going back to the period
Of the Indian wars one a contemporary
manuscript giving the list of killed and
wounded in Braddock's defeat in 1856,
adding: According to the most exact
returns we can as yet get about 600
men killed and wounded" A later doc
ument. dated 1888. deals with more pa
cific relations with the Indians, being
treaty of peace written in Mohawk,
| signed by Joseph Brant or Thayende-
negea, a Mohawk chief. The letter is 20
General Schuyler, who negotiated the
treaty at the instance of Washington.
Among the most interesting docu-
ments are those either signed by Wash
handwriting. containing important bits
of the history Of the times and some Of
them casting side lights on his own per
sonal life. There is Il receipt in his own
! hand--a receipt from Charles Wilson
Peale. signed by Pealc. in regard To Il
miniature painting MAY 80, 1T72,"
the paper runs. Received Ten Guineas
from George Washington for drawing
Mrs. Washington's picture in miniature
| for the use Of MIR. Gusts, and at his de-
sire" Most IF the others relate to Wash
/ ington's campaigns and his directions t.
those under him. one OF the most i'm
[ portant and interesting signed by him
and evidently dictated. is addressed to
! Benjamin Harrison, and is on the apathy
| of the states. 1t is said 10 bC one of the
| few letters written by Washington dur
I ing the war i'll which he gives way to
despondencN. Another, entirely i'm Wash
! ington's own hand, relates 10 the endow-
ment of Liberty Hall Academy, whose
name was later changed to Washington
/ College and finally. after the civil War
to Washington and Lee University.
There are over thirty documents
signed by the Marquis de Lafayette,
most of them entirely written in his owI.
hand. They relate chiefly to his OWL
appointment to command in the AmerI-
can armies, accounts Of his battles and
marches. and requests for aid or sup
plies. In one of a more personal sort
written when he was nearly seventy
years old, in France, after his second
visit so the United States TO Peter =
ing with him on a serious illness, in
general matters he compares the haif
civilization of Europe with the superior
intelligence of the United States" There
Is an important group of letters from
Alexander Hamilton. Most of them are
tain intimately personal touches. one
serves TO show his conscience in hank
| ing matters as distinguished from mauy
eminent bankers of more recent times
MY public engagements" he writes L.
Stephen Van Rensselaer, in 1883. have
not only left me bare Of Cash, but have
lain me under a necessity to use my
credit at the Bank as far as consistently
with delicacy in my station Of director |
ought TO 60" Another, to Philip Schuy-
Ter. has the following domestic allusion
I'VE have been Innoculating Angelica
and Alexander"
Practically the whole gamut Of Ameri-
can history up to and through the Rev
| olution is run in these letters, bringing in
such other famous names as Sir Guy
| Carleton, British Governor of New York
at tho time of the evacuation; joan
Hancock, William Henry Harrison, Johr
Jay, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison
James Monroe, Thomas Paine. General
Israel Putnam, Count de Rochambeau
commander OF the French army during
the Revolution, and General Anthony
| Wayne. Among them, too, are the min
utes of the meeting TO organize the So
ciety of the Cincinnati.
Benson John Losing was born IN
| Beekman, Duchess County, y. Y, Of
! Quaker parents, in 1918. and he died III
1891. After various experiences in
newspaper and magazine ventures he be-
gan in 1S4S his first great work THE
Pictorial Field Book of the American
Revolution" His Encyclopaedia OF Unite1
States History" was published by the
Harpers in 1881, and in 1884 his His
tory Of New York" He had long list Of
other works to his credit, His collection
of historical documents was kept in his
| library by his wife until her death, in
| 1911. They have been since gathered to-
gether and arranged, and will be put on
sale at auction on the afternoons OF
Thursday, May 0, and Friday, May 10.
at the annex of the Anderson Auction
Company, No. 16 East 10th street. The
sale will be opened each day at 2:30
o'clock.