Revolutionary War hero Nathanael Greene was born on 7 August 1742 in Warwick, RI to Nathanael Greene Sr., a successful Quaker farmer and blacksmith, and his second wife, Mary Mott. Before the war Nathanael worked in his family’s foundry and served in the Rhode Island Assembly from 1770-72, and again in 1775. In 1773 [...] Click here to continue reading.]]> General Nathanael Greene, Revolutionary War Hero

(Sotheby’s catalogue note accompanying the sale of General Greene’s Order of the Cincinnati)

Revolutionary War hero Nathanael Greene was born on 7 August 1742 in Warwick, RI to Nathanael Greene Sr., a successful Quaker farmer and blacksmith, and his second wife, Mary Mott. Before the war Nathanael worked in his family’s foundry and served in the Rhode Island Assembly from 1770-72, and again in 1775. In 1773 he was expelled from a Quaker meeting having attended a military parade, and it was at that point that he chose to separate himself from the Quaker religion in order to become active in the military. In anticipation of developing strife between the American colonies and the British, Greene helped to organize the Kentish Guards, a local military company in 1774, and in 1776 he participated in the defense of New York City, for which he was promoted to Major General. He also played an important role in the surprise attack on Trenton, led by George Washington in December 1776. He worked closely with Washington again at Morristown, Brandywine, Germantown, Valley Forge and Monmouth. He was made a Quartermaster General in 1778, but with the guarantee that he would not lose his right of command in action. He resigned from the position in 1780.

On 20 July 1774 Greene married Catharine Littlefield (1755-1814), daughter of John Littlefield and Phebe Ray Littlefield of Block Island, RI. The couple had six children. Mrs. Greene was known to have visited her husband often during the war and earned the reputation for being an independent woman with an unusual interest in politics and the military.

Despite his numerous military triumphs, Greene is most recognized for his leadership in the South. In 1780 Washington assigned Greene the difficult task of leading the feeble Southern forces. The failures of three previous generals had left the South in a tenuous position and Greene and his forces were to confront Lieutenant General Earl Cornwallis, the most skilled of the British generals. Knowing that his limited number of troops would be no match for the British if engaged in a large battle, he used his small numbers to make surprise, concise attacks on the slow-moving British army. Although Greene never fought in Georgia he is credited with rescuing Augusta in 1781 and Savannah in 1782 by assigning significant and appropriate forces to drive opposing troops out of the state, which had been under British occupation since 1780.

Following the Revolution, the state of Georgia gifted Greene with a plantation named Mulberry Grove, near Savannah. Greene and his family relocated to the plantation, but he was to live there for less than a year before he died suddenly of sunstroke in 1786. He was initially buried in the Colonial Park Cemetery in Savannah until his remains were exhumed in 1901 under the direction of the Rhode Island State Society of the Cincinnati. Greene’s remains are now entombed beneath a monument erected in his honor at Johnson Square in Savannah.

General Nathanael Greene was a founding member of the Society of the Cincinnati, and his signature appears with those of George Washington, Henry Knox and other officers on the Institution (charter) drawn up on 13 May 1783, preserved at the Society’s headquarters at Anderson House, Washington DC.

The organization was to include all Continental officers in service at the end of the war, all those who had served three years honorably during the war and those that had been “deranged” or dismissed for no longer needed services. To join they had to pledge a month’s pay owed to them by the government. The funds received would be used to help the families of needy officers. Later it was decided to extend membership to French officers who had participated. Membership was to be hereditary from father to eldest son.

Major Pierre L’Enfant (1755 to 1825) submitted two water color designs for the badge, (collection of the Society’s headquarters, Anderson House, Washington DC) and was entrusted with obtaining the badges in Paris, arriving in France, December 8, 1783. The first examples were quickly made and distributed free (against instructions) to forty-five French officers in January 1784. L’Enfant brought back forty more highly finished, slightly larger examples for distribution to those who pre-ordered them at a price of $25 each and one hundred and forty lighter examples on speculation, priced at $26 each Two prime medals were The Diamond Eagle presented to George Washington by the French navy (Anderson House) and Washington’s Special Eagle, distinctively designed for himself. All the above medals are attributed to Duval and Francastel and associated firms, Paris, 1784. General Greene’s medal belongs in the category of the forty pre-ordered Eagles. Information taken from Minor Myers,jr., The Insignia of The Society of the Cincinnati.

Washington’s Special Eagle was subsequently presented to La Fayette on his great tour of 1824 to 1825 and recently sold Sotheby’s, New York, on December 11 2007 for $5,305,000 (p4a item number D9851817).

Even though the North won the [...] Click here to continue reading.]]> Confederate Currency; 1861 Montgomery Issued Notes.

The 1861 Montgomery issued notes of the Confederacy are among the most desired of all American banknotes. The four denominations issued, $1000, $500, $100, and $50 (Criswell Types 1 to Type 4 respectively) combine rarity, impeccable state of the art security printing, and the optimistic sense of history that the Confederacy was to be long lived and independent to our modern era.

Even though the North won the Civil War and the Confederate debt was refused, the Montgomery notes are still treasured. Fewer than 600 “Montgomery’s” of all types are known. The current census (2000) totals only 111 $1000 Type 1 notes and 150 $50 Type 4 notes.

As banknotes in their own right, the Montgomery issued notes’ beauty is just about unparalleled. The National Banknote Company in New York City executed the four note plates with amazing diligence and execution. Each type has a superb green lathe tint protector and green borders. The vignettes are of the highest artistic style of this prestigious, almost “renegade” firm, dwarfed in size by the recently merged firms that became the American Banknote Company. The contract work done in New York for the soon-to-be enemy is in itself dubious, and certainly worthy of detailed study. The hidden intrigue behind this issue of notes is the icing on the cake of their desirability.

The four notes, when issued, must have drawn great optimism from the executives and supporters of the Confederate cause. However, the redeemers of such notes received later notes and bonds which became worthless.

The Lear-Storer-Decatur family is one encompassing a number of important historical figures in the 19th, 18th and 17th centuries. Their roots begin with Sir William Pepperrell Baronet, born June 27, 1696 and died July 6, 1759. He was born in Kittery Point, Maine (where all of this material [...] Click here to continue reading.]]> The Lear-Storer-Decatur Family and their role in American History

Courtesy of James D Julia, Inc. (Winter Antiques & Fine Art Auction, February 4 & 5, 2010).

The Lear-Storer-Decatur family is one encompassing a number of important historical figures in the 19th, 18th and 17th centuries. Their roots begin with Sir William Pepperrell Baronet, born June 27, 1696 and died July 6, 1759. He was born in Kittery Point, Maine (where all of this material came from), he was a very successful merchant and soldier in Colonial Massachusetts and was known as the hero of Louisburg. He organized, financed and led the 1745 expedition that was responsible for capturing the French Garrison in Nova Scotia.

Another important historical figure related to this family is that of Captain Tobias Lear (father of Colonel Tobias Lear). Captain Tobias Lear from Portsmouth, New Hampshire was, for several years during the American Revolution, superintendent of the Continental Yard at Langdon’s (now Badgers) Island in Piscataqua River opposite Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He was responsible for the construction of the historic John Paul Jones Continental ship the Ranger. Captain Lear fathered two children; Mary Lear and Colonel Tobias Lear. Colonel Tobias Lear was born in 1762 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire and expired on October 11, 1816 in Washington, DC. He was personal secretary to President George Washington and also one of Washington’s best friends. He was also agent and Consul General of the United States of America to the North African coast during the Barbary Wars. In the late 18th Century Tobias’s only son was Benjamin Lincoln Lear; President George Washington was Benjamin’s godfather. A portion of Benjamin Lincoln Lear’s library is included in this auction; many of the books having come from his father Tobias Lear’s library and some from George Washington’s.

Another descendent represented in these offerings is George Washington Storer; nephew of Colonel Tobias Lear. George Washington Storer was a career naval officer who was, in his final years, superintendent of the naval asylum and retired as a Commodore. A most important historical naval figure in this family is of course Stephen Decatur. Commodore Stephen Decatur, Jr. born January 1779, died March 1820. He was known for his heroism and great successes in both the War of 1812 and the Barbary Wars. He was the youngest man to reach the rank of Captain in the history of the US Navy. Commodore Stephen Decatur and his young wife Susan never produced children. Many of the future offspring from his siblings down through the generations would be named in honor of their illustrious ancestor. One of the future Stephen Decaturs, born in December 1814, was a lifelong career naval officer and attained the rank of Commodore on retirement after the Civil War.

Another relative in this historical chain was Ichabod Goodwin, born in South Berwick, Maine on October 1796 and died July 1882. Goodwin was a successful businessman who became part owner of several ships and eventually was governor of the state of New Hampshire.

Another historic figure in this family tree is Admiral George Dewey. The only person in the history of the United States to have attained the rank of Admiral of the Navy, the most senior rank in the United States navy.

The family tree of this noted historical family is far more diverse than outlined above. The offering in this sale is represented by most of the above mentioned individuals. A treasure trove and much more was rediscovered in the mid 20th century when the family as a whole decided to sell an early barn on Kittery Point to one of its members. At the time the barn had served as a storage building for a vast amount of historical material that has been passed down through the generations. In cleaning out the barn, a significant archive of Tobias Lear papers and memorabilia was discovered and much, much more. The items were essentially divided up amongst the various existing branches of the family at that time; however, a copy of the exceedingly rare Dunlop version of the Declaration of Independence, also discovered in the same barn, had to be sold at the time because of its considerable value and to effect an equitable distribution. This auction includes the remaining segment of that cache from the estate of Alice Walker Decatur Armsden.

Also included in this sale is a small select group of items consigned from another branch of the Decatur family. Down through the years some of the artifacts had been identified by various generations of the Decatur family through small notes or word of mouth and in the presentation of the goods some of the items offered carry “family history”.