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| Field name | Value |
|---|---|
| Collection Reference Number | GLC03231 |
| From Archive Folder | Documents Relating to 1778 |
| Title | John Burgoyne to William Heath requesting a transfer of letters and the procurement of a sailing boat |
| Date | 23 March 1778 |
| Author | Burgoyne, John (1722-1792) |
| Recipient | Health, William |
| Document Type | Correspondence |
| Content Description | Written by General Burgoyne while an American prisoner after his defeat at the Battle of Saratoga in October 1777 to Major General William Heath as commander of the Convention Army (prisoners of war from the battle of Saratoga) around Boston. Apologizes for sending another dispatch so quickly after his previous one, but asks him to send along the enclosed letters (not included here) without any loss of time. Also asks Heath to send him along a good sailing boat to go to Cape Cod and that he will pay any expenses associated with the trip. Burgoyne left Boston for Britain on 5 April 1778. He was before Parliament in May 1778 to defend his conduct during the Saratoga campaign where he was received in an unfriendly manner. Letter is mounted on cardboard and the address and docket are cut and glued on verso of cardboard. |
| Subjects | Revolutionary War Revolutionary War General Prisoner of War Maritime Travel Convention Army Military History Battle of Saratoga Global History and Civics Battle |
| Place written | Cambridge, Massachusetts |
| Theme | Naval & Maritime; The American Revolution; Government & Politics |
| Sub-collection | The Gilder Lehrman Collection, 1493-1859 |
| Additional Information | While a prisoner in Cambridge, Burgoyne stayed at the Apthorp House, where he complained about the high rent he was forced to pay. |
| Copyright | The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History |
| Module | Settlement, Commerce, Revolution and Reform: 1493-1859 |