American Historical Ephemera & Photography

2 pages, plus docketing leaf, 8 x 13 in., old folds, separation at some folds, a few repaired and reinforced, heavily stained along folds and edges. Loss to docketing leaf, affecting few words of docketing information. Housed in black half leather clamshell case, spine gilt. 

Manuscript document signed by Lieutenant General Alexander Leslie, British commander of the Southern Department, directing Lieutenant Colonel Hamilton to proceed to General Nathanael Greene's headquarters under flag of truce, "in order to transact business with him."

The document reads: "By the Honorable Lieut. General Alexander Leslie, Commander of all His Majesty's forces in the Southern District, etc. etc. etc. To Lieut. Colonel Hamilton. You are hereby required and directed to proceed with a flag of truce to the head quarters of Major General Greene, in order to transact business with him, from thence to return to this Town unmolested. Therefore all persons what ever are required to hold sacred and inviolate this my pass port and flag of truce: you conducting your self according to the laws and customs of war. Given under my hand has noted on the verso, "Corporal Furdon and Ned (mulatto servant) with their horses, accompany Lieut. Colonel Hamilton & are considered as under the sanction of this flag."

Alexander Leslie was commanding defenses at Charleston at the time of Cornwallis' surrender at Yorktown; after Yorktown, Leslie's command was expanded to encompass the entirety of the Southern Department. In failing health and with familial concern back in England, he asked to be relieved of command, but was forced to hang on until the British evacuated Charleston in December 1782. The year after Yorktown was a time of uneasy truce. An interesting an ephemeral Revolutionary document. 

Provenance: Parke Bernet, Autograph Letters and Documents Main American, Collected by the Late Forest G. Sweet, Battle Creek, Michigan. Part Two. 22-23 October 1957.