Desirable full free frank, unfolded to 7 x 8, addressed in another hand to "Major Tallmadge, 2nd Regt Dragoons, Fairfield," and franked in the lower left of the panel, "Go: Washington." The lower flap bears wax seal remnants and annotation, "Gen'l Washington, Letter HdQrs, Dec'r 26th, 82." Archivally cloth-matted and framed to an overall size of 15.25 x 16.75. In fine condition.
Washington was Commander-in-Chief of the Armies of the United States at the time this envelope was signed, but the War for Independence was quickly coming to a close; Charles Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown on October 19, 1781, and the French army and navy had already departed by this time. Benjamin Tallmadge was Washington's chief intelligence officer during the Revolutionary War and the organizer of the Culper Ring, which conducted covert operations in order to gain information regarding British activities in New York. It was through the work of the Culper Ring that evidence of Benedict Arnold's treason first came to light.
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