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| Field name | Value |
|---|---|
| Collection Reference Number | GLC01498 |
| From Archive Folder | Documents Relating to 1777 |
| Title | Note from John Hancock to Horatio Gates enclosing resolutions giving Gates command of the army |
| Date | 5 August 1777 |
| Author | Hancock, John (1737-1793) |
| Recipient | Gates, Horatio |
| Document Type | Military document |
| Content Description | Written by Hancock as President of the Continental Congress to Gates as Commander of the Northern Department. Says enclosed resolutions (which are not included here) give him command of the army. Gates was in a struggle for control of the Northern Department with General Philip Schuyler, which he won on 4 August 1777 after storming into the halls of Congress to plead his case. His victory came partially because Schuyler had lost Fort Ticonderoga to General John Burgoyne's invading forces. Congress's resolutions ended the squabble for power and allowed Gates to concentrate on defeating Burgoyne, which he did at Saratoga in September-October 1777. |
| Subjects | Continental Congress Congress Revolutionary War Continental Army Military History Government and Civics |
| Place written | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Theme | The American Revolution; Government & Politics |
| Sub-collection | The Gilder Lehrman Collection, 1493-1859 |
| Copyright | The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History |
| Module | Settlement, Commerce, Revolution and Reform: 1493-1859 |