Revolutionary War-dated partly-printed DS, one page, 10 x 12, July 1, 1781. Military appointment reads, in full: “To Nathaniel Sargeant Gent. Greeting. You being appointed Captain of the Third Company, in the fourth Regiment of Militia in the County of Middles[ex] whereof Cyprian How Esqr is Colonel. By Virtue of the Power vested in me, I do by these Presents, (reposing Special Trust and Confidence in your Loyalty, Courage and good Conduct) Commission you accordingly,—You are therefore carefully and diligently to discharge the Duty of a Captain in leading, ordering and exercising said Company in Arms, both Inferior Officers and Soldiers; and to keep them in good Order and Discipline: And they are hereby commanded to obey you as their Captain and you are yourself to observe and follow such Orders and Instructions as you shall from Time to Time receive from me or your Superior Officers.” The item has been archivally sleeved in acid-free Mylar. In fair condition, with heavy overall toning, repairs to multiple separations along intersecting folds on reverse, areas of discoloration to the front from old repairs affecting appearance, scattered edge chipping, scattered small areas of paper loss, a few letters of the document missing due to repairs (not affecting legibility), and a small repair affecting the first letter of Hancock’s signature. Only a small center portion of seal remains intact.
A majority of the men in the Middlesex regiment were veterans of the Battle of Concord and Lexington, Bunker Hill, or during the siege of Boston in 1775-1776. As the war moved south after 1778, detachments from the Fourth Middlesex Regiment fought along the Hudson River at places such as Claverack, Fort Clinton, and Peekskill, as well as in Rhode Island. Among the duties of Hancock, who had been elected governor of Massachusetts in 1780, was tending to matters like the military appointment bestowed upon Captain Gent—while otherwise taking a hands-off approach to governing and avoiding controversial issues as much as possible. Pre-certified John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA and RR Auction COA.
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