The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1913-09-05
AN IN Ter ting
RELIC OF old {
COLONIAL DAYS
Virginia Boy Gets Copy of Rev
olutionary Ancestors War
Time Commission.
BEARS SIGNATURE OF
"tBROTHER JONATHAN

Generati0ns-Issued in 1879 to His
Great Great. Great Grandfather
Who Served Under Washington in
the Fifth Connecticut Light Horse.
Mr.. and Mrs. J. M. Princell, 418 1-2
Poplar street, Virginia, have just
come into possession through the
death of relative in st. Paul of a
|'much-prized treasure in the form of a
fac-simile of the commission issued by
his excellency Governor John Trum-
bull of the state of Connecticut, to
John Gilbert, as quartermaster of a
troop of horse of the Fifth Regiment
Connecticut Light Horse, which de-
Tended the Connecticut coast from the
raids Of the Tory Tryon and fought
under General George Washington in
the closing campaigns of the war of
the American Revolution.
In time it will become the property
of John Gilbert Princell, their 7-year
old son, the fifth direct lineal descend
ant of John Gilbert of revolutionary
war times, who enlisted as quarter
master and was mustered out as
captain, being promoted by General
Washington for valor on the field of
battle.
The Gilberts were one of the first
families in Connecticut. Histories of
che colony refer to Matthew Gilbert
as one of the "seven pillars of the
:hurch," in those dayc organized and
directed by the colony. All were Of
noble birth.
The original commission was print
ed by one of the colonial printers Id
the old - Caxton types, and until his
death short time ago it had been in
the possession of Newington- Gilbert, a
pioneer resident of the city of St.
Paul and Ramsey county, together
with other interesting documents of q
historical nature bequeathed to him by
his father and to his father by his
father before him. Among them is
copy Of an early day American news
paper which contains an account of
the promotion to captaincy in the
Fifth Connecticut Light Horse of John
Gilbert, quartermaster. The news
paper and the commission were yellow
with age and the former had begun to
crumble, while the printing has faded
to the point where it is in some spots
hard to decipher. 1t has been placed
in specially prepared glass case and
is now in the hands of the Sunday edi-
tor of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, and
in short time will be the subject of
feature story in the Sunday edition
of that newspaper. The commission,
printed on heavier paper, was in a
better state of preservation, while it
| was also beginning to decay. It was
preserved by being mounted on a bit
of mounting board from which were
taken fac-simile photographs suffi-
cient to supply all the living descend
ants of the John Gilbert to whom it
was issued.
Governor John Trumbull, who exc
cuted it, was one of the Revolutionary
governors of Connecticut and the init
mate friend Of George Washington,
who affectionately referred to him as
Brother Jonathan" He is so refer
red to on account of Washington's So
briquet by many latter day historians
and is said to be the original of the
character so cartooned.
The signature of George Wyllys,
secretary, also recalls another inter-
esting Revolutionary wartime char
acter. The office which he then held
had been held before him by his father
and his grandfather, and at his death
was filled by his son, John Wyllys
In all the family held the position fol
SO years, and in the histories Of colon
ial Connecticut and the state as well
they have prominent part and are
frequently mentioned. A copy of the
commission is presented below show
ing the old-fashioned printing and the
quaint English in which the official
documents of that day were couched:
JONATHAN TRUMBULL, Esquire,
Captain- General and Commander ir
Chief of the State of Connecticut
! in AMERICA.
To John Gilbert, Gent. GREETING.
Il You being by the Affembly of thi.
State accepted to be quartermaster o.
troop of horse of the Fifth Regimen
of Light Horse in thif state. :...
i Repofing fpecial Truft and Conf
;; dence, in your Fidelity, Courage an.
Good Conduct, do, by virtue Of til,
laws Of thif state, me thereunto enab
ling. appoint and impower you to TAX