Gallery of History - Auctioneer of Historical Documents

Click on Image To Enlarge

autographs

Document 88088

RICHARD HOWE
He cannot do as requested because the Master involved has already left the ship.
ALS: "Howe", 2p, 7¼x9, front and verso. Admiralty, 1765 March 11. In full: "My Lord, I am very sorry the letter from the master of the academy enclosed with that which I have had the honor to receive from your Lordship, does not enable me to obey your commands. The Master, Mr. Delamotte, having left the ship before there was an opportunity of receiving your directions, and the transaction having passed so many years since, I cannot undertake to say in what manner it can be traced with most probability of success. I cannot however think with Mrs. Robertson that there could have happened so unworthy a proceeding amongst the officers as a fraudulent intention in this case. Tho' that circumstance will not tend to diminish my desire of testifying upon this occasion how much I have the honor to be my Lord." Howe, a member of the Admiralty Board, was appointed Treasurer of the Navy in 1765, the year he wrote this letter. In 1770, he commanded a fleet in the Mediterranean. As Rear Admiral, he sailed for America as joint commissioner with his brother William for restoring peace with the colonies. On August 29, 1776, General Washington managed to withdraw his forces under cover of fog, crossing from Brooklyn to Manhattan in spite of the presence of a strong British fleet under Howe. In August 1778, after an indecisive encounter with a French fleet under Count d'Estaing off the coast of Rhode Island in which both fleets were shattered by a storm, Howe returned to England. He was later named Admiral of the Fleet. Howe was tall and dark in appearance and was called by sailors "Black Dick". His men considered him cool and courageous, reserved in his manner, a strict disciplinarian yet he was popular with them. In Parliament, he reserved his opinions to matters of the navy and spoke with brevity. Folds, lightly creased, none affecting signature. Overall, fine condition.

SEE IF DOCUMENT 88088 IS FOR SALE RIGHT NOW!!

This document was available for sale in a previous auction. It may or may not be currently available for sale. It is also highly likely that we have more of this personality available for sale either in our archives or on our direct purchase website www.historyforsale.com.

For direct purchase information, call 1-800-GALLERY (1-800-425-5379) Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm Pacific Time or email inquires to sales@galleryofhistory.com. RIGHT NOW YOU CAN BID ON A SIMILAR ITEM IN OUR CURRENT AUCTION!

Autograph Archive Index