George Washington: American Victory and Freedom Are Unique Gifts of the “Providence” of God, “the happy moment which Heaven has pointed out for the firm establishment of American Liberty”

A remarkable letter, never before offered for sale publicly, acquired from the descendants of the recipients

 

This letter was written the very same day Washington received first news of the surrender of Burgoyne; Washington only wrote a handful of letters this day announcing the victory, this being the first we found having reached the public market

 

In the lead up to the Valley Forge encampment, he instructs General Potter, who spied on the British for Washington, to try to cut off the supply chain between the British fleet and occupied Philadelphia and to urgently raise troops

In early October of 1777, the Continental Army was marching toward Philadelphia. Washington and his troops stopped and made camp at the Peter Wentz farm in Lansdale, PA, with Washington using the stately farmhouse as his headquarters. During the first time, plans were laid out for an attack on British forces outside of the city. The battle that resulted is known as the Battle of Germantown, which took place October 4 and led to an American defeat. As Washington returned to the Wentz farm soon after, things seemed bleak. In just two months, Washington and his army would arrive at Valley Forge to commence the encampment there.

James Potter was a brigadier general of Pennsylvania militia during the Revolutionary War who also maintained an intelligence network to feed information to Washington. He led his troops at the battles of Trenton, Princeton, Brandywine and Germantown. In 1777, with the troops under his command in the counties of Philadelphia, Chester, and Delaware, Potter obtained important information that he reported to Washington, in one case preventing supplies from reaching the enemy. In fact, Potter spent much of the fall of 1777 stationed around Philadelphia disrupting supply lines between the ships of the British and the occupied city. Washington praised Potter. In December 1777, while the army under Washington was on its way to Valley Forge, after part of it had crossed the Schuylkill River at Matson’s Ford, it was found that the enemy under Cornwallis were in force on the other side. “They were met,” writes Washington, “by General Potter, with part of the Pennsylvania Militia, who behaved with great bravery, and gave them every possible opposition until he was obliged to retreat from their superior numbers.”

Potter was also sent disrupt the flow of intelligence reaching Philadelphia and the British Commanders operating in the vicinity.

An example of this: On October 21, Washington wrote Potter with orders concerning intelligence. “I wish you to obtain the best information you possibly can respecting the Convoy that went to Chester and to find out Whether it has returned. That the object we have in view may be facilitated and the Detachment not be liable to be intercepted, you will have all the Roads leading over Schuylkill properly waylaid & secured, that the Enemy may not receive intelligence of their movement. The Road also to province Island should be attended to, lest they should get information by means of the Tories & disaffected through that Channel. I need not suggest the propriety of secrecy upon this occasion. You well know upon this much depends.”

Meanwhile, a major event had taken place that would prove to be the turning point of the war. On October 17, 1777, in a letter apparently completed the next day, Gen. Israel Putnam wrote Washington informing him of the momentous news that the British had surrendered at Saratoga. This was the event that convinced the French to conclude an alliance with the fledgling United States. “…we were on our march after them when I met the agreeable intelligence of the Surrender of Genl. Burgoyne & his army as prisoners of war, a Copy of which is enclosed; & thereupon I do most Sincerely Congratulate your excellency…” Washington received the news on the morning of October 18. He determined to promptly inform Gen. Potter.

The euphoria of the moment – the low point after Germantown followed by the crucial victory at Saratoga – led the usually reserved and serious Washington to step out of character and write with deep feeling and enthusiasm what is clearly a letter of great import. It starts out by announcing the victory at Saratoga and says it was due to divine Providence, that God sought to establish American liberty, and that Americans needed to rally to the colors. He gave orders of importance to his campaign, and went on to characterize the American Revolution as “the glorious work we have in hand.” We have never seen a Washington letter like it on the market. This letter includes a call for troops, just months before the fateful encampment at Valley Forge.

Letter signed, Head Quarters at Peter Wentz’s, 18th October, 1777, to Brigadier General James Potter. “I congratulate you upon the glorious successes of our Arms in the North an account of which is inclosed. This singular favour of Providence is to be received with thankfulness and the happy moment which Heaven has pointed out for the firm establishment of American Liberty ought to be embraced with becoming spirit.

“It is incumbent upon every man of influence in his country to prevail upon the militia to take the field with that energy which the present crisis evidently demands. I have no doubt of your exerting yourself in this way. In the post which you now occupy you may render the most important services by cutting off the Enemies convoys and communications with their Fleet. For this purpose you should strain every nerve. There is another thing which I would suggest and leave you to judge of the practicability of it. I think that you might harass the parties of the enemy on Province Island in such a manner as to produce a great Diversion in favour of Fort Mifflin. Let me again entreat you and through your means every one of any influence among the Militia, to exert it to the utmost in exciting them to the field where by seasonable reinforcements the glorious work we have in hand will be completed. I am Your most h’ble Servt., G. Washington.” We obtained the letter from the Potter descendants, and it has never before been offered for sale.

The text is in the hand of Washington aide Lt. Col. John Laurens. Laurens, a South Carolinian who opposed slavery, is remembered as the man who in 1779, gained approval from the Continental Congress for his plan to recruit a brigade of 3,000 slaves by promising them freedom in return for fighting. Laurens was killed in action in 1782.

This is a letter of enormous importance, the original of which was not known to have survived.

Some years later, Washington would return to this language, this predestination ordained by heaven, in his First Inaugural Address, stating: “Since we ought to be no less persuaded that the propitious smiles of heaven, can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right, which heaven itself has ordained. And since the preservation of the sacred fire of liberty, and the destiny of the republican model of government, are justly considered as deeply, perhaps as finally staked on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people.”