Revolutionary War
Sudbury, MA, August 3, 1776
1776 Return Listing Troop Strengths & Officers in Middlesex County Less Than a Month After Independence is Declared!
ADS

1776 Revolutionary War return of commissioned officers and their troops in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. 1p, 12" x 15.25"; Sudbury, Massachusetts; August 3, 1776. A manuscript return of regiments prepared by Colonel Ezekiel How and submitted to Brigadier General Oliver Prescott for the towns of Sudbury, Marlborough, and Stow. The return lists the commissioned officers of individual regiments, with a separate column for the number of men in each type of service under their purview including, "Training Band," "Alarm List," "Continental Service," and "Provincial." With dampstaining and toning, ink remains bold and highly legible. Paper is fragile, with multiple repairs on recto and verso. Minor chipping and minute amounts of loss affecting a few letters. An exceptionally scarce and historically significant document outlining the military strength for these towns less than a month after the Colonies declared their independence!

The field officers listed at top are: Cyprian How, Lieutenant Colonel; Jonathan Hapgood, First Major; and Jonathan Parmenter, Second Major. Below this heading there are two columns, with each row listing the captains and lieutenants, alongside a breakdown of the exact number of men serving under them and in what capacity (town militia, Continental Army, or Provincial). At bottom, the totals listed for the three towns are: "Total in Regt. 916" and "Total in Service 324."

Per the heading, this return was prepared by Brigadier General Prescott's order. Given that it is dated August 3, 1776, less than a month after the Declaration of Independence was issued, it is possible that Prescott sought to assess the military preparedness of the state.

Cyprian How was early to get involved in colonial resistance to British policies. He was captain of minutemen company in Marlborough organized in 1774 to provide rapid response forces following the Intolerable Acts. He led his company to Cambridge in response to the Lexington alarm.

Trained as a physician, Oliver Prescott played a significant role in the Revolutionary War. Having prior military experience, Prescott was appointed brigadier general of the Middlesex County militia in 1776 by the Massachusetts executive council. He also served on the state's board of war.

Additional research would likely yield that many of the officers listed here had distinguished records. This important manuscript gives an accurate snapshot of the military capabilities in three towns in Middlesex County at the precise moment the colonies transitioned from rebellion to independence.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Dimensions: 15.25" x 12"
  • Medium: ADS

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July 28, 2026 10:00 AM EDT
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University Archives

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