Revolutionary War
Lenox, MA; Braintree, MA, September 24, 1781; October 6, 1781
American Victory at Yorktown Soon! Josiah Quincy Expresses Confidence in Land Values in Western Massachusetts
AL

[REVOLUTIONARY WAR.] Caleb Hyde, Autograph Letter Signed, to Josiah Quincy, September 24, 1781, Lenox, Massachusetts; Josiah Quincy, Autograph Draft, to Caleb Hyde, October 6, 1781, Braintree, Massachusetts; Josiah Quincy, Autograph Draft, to Israel Dewey, October 6, 1781, Braintree; Josiah Quincy, Autograph Draft, to Richard Cranch, October 6, 1781, Braintree. 4 pp., 6.5" x 8.25". General toning; residue of former mounting on one edge of p4.

"As to disposing of my interest in Lenox I have no thoughts of it at present; especially, since the late brilliant success of our army, in conjunction with our allies both by sea & land on wch I heartily rejoice with you. Our cruel & petulant Eny must now be soon reduced not only to shameful ignominious flight from every part of the Continent, but must sue for peace...."

In this letter to American merchant Josiah Quincy and his draft responses, including one to John Adams's brother-in-law, Quincy expresses great confidence in the American cause. At the time Quincy wrote these letters, a French fleet under Admiral Comte de Grasse had defeated and driven away from Virginia a British fleet under Rear Admiral Thomas Graves in the Battle of the Capes on September 5, 1781. Meanwhile, a combined American and French force under the command of General George Washington and Comte de Rochambeau had besieged the British army under General Charles Cornwallis along the York River at Yorktown, Virginia. With hopes of supplies and reinforcements dashed by the victory of the French fleet and surrounded by superior American and French forces, General Cornwallis surrendered on October 19, fewer than two weeks after Quincy wrote these letters. The surrender spurred negotiations that led to the Treaty of Paris in 1783, ending the Revolutionary War.

Complete Transcript
Lenox 24th Sept 1781
Sr
I would inform you that I have Paid the following Taxes on your Land which I Desire you to Pay he Bearer Israel Dewey Esqr
Continental Tax in State money at 3/ for Seventy Five Continental Dollars £230..0..0
Paid to [E?] Collector
Paid in a Beef Tax in a Class hard money £4..3..4
To Daniel Thalor Collector at Forty Continental D pr one State Dd 273..0..0
Sr If you are Desposed to sell your Land hear I Should Be glad to Purchase it if I could have it at a reasonable Price you may Depend on it hard money is scarce and Land afalling fast If you are amind to sell I should Be glad of a line by the Bearer Esqr Dewey who is a member at the Genl Court
From Your Most Hume Servt
Caleb Hyde
Coll Quincey Brantry

Braintree Octr 6, 1781
Forwarded ? Mr S
Sir,
Your Lr of the 24th ulto ? Isl Dewey Esqr was handed to me ye 2d inst the contl moy you have disburs'd for me in taxes 503£ @ 80 for 1 in hard money amod to £6..6/ wch with the enormous beef tax of £4..3..4 in specie makes the sum total £20..9..4 wch I have sent enclos'd with this in a Letter to Esqr Dewey & hope it will come safe to your hand & when recd I expect you will send me the several Collectrs rects by first safe conveyce.
As to disposing of my interest in Lenox I have no thoughts of it at present; especially, since the late brilliant success of our army, in conjunction with our allies both by sea & land on wch I heartily rejoice with you. Our cruel & petulant Eny must now be soon reduced not only to shameful ignominious flight from every part of the Continent, but must sue for peace upon such terms as the united powers at war with them from principles of humanity & compassion to wch they have long been strangers may be induc'd to grant.
The consequences of peace must be a rapid increase of our Numbers, a& consequently the demand for Land must increase in proportion. Besides, it is a universal maxim "that an increase of taxes, always increases the price of whatever is the object of them" wch will undoubtedly operate relative to Land equally wth every other taxable Commodity. Be assured therefore, you will eventually be disappointed in your expectation both as to the scarcity of money & the fall of land. However, if you shd think it worthwhile to make a generous offer, nay only a capital sum in propn to ye taxes asses'd upon my Land in Lenox it is not improbable I may strike a bargain with you. Be this at may in the mean time I shd esteem it a singular favor if you wd procure me an attested copy of the Rate bill committed to each of the Collectors named in your Lr & forward them with their respective Rects ? first safe Conveyce that I may thereby be satisfied that the Assessments on my Intt is in a just proportion to that of the other Inhabitants of your Town.
When I had the pleasure of seeing you here you mentioned a number of Chesnut Rails wch you had seized and propos'd to use them for fencing Stuff. Pray be so good as to let me know in your next what you have done with them as also how much of my Land you have under improvemt.
I have only room to add &ca.

Braintree Octr 6, 1781
Sir,
The Inclosed Lr to Colo Hyde together with ten pounds 9/4 hard money are at his request committed to your Care.
Please to return the enclosed receipt after signing it to Mr Cranch as a voucher for the payment of the taxes assess'd on my Land in the Town of Lenox by Israel Dewey Esqr.
Sr Your most Hum: Servt

Octr 6th 1781
R C esqr Sr
The Lr herewith dld to you is under a flying Seal and contains ten pounds 9/4 wch I beg you wd be so good as to pay to Isl Dewey Esqr Repve of Lenox for the purposes therein mention'd he signing & returning to you the enclosed rct for accp to ye tribunals of Justice for
Your faithl & obt Servt
P.S: If the money due to me from the [line obscured] barr'd by the legislature be so good as to let ye frd know it.

Josiah Quincy (1710-1784) was born in Braintree, Massachusetts, and graduated from Harvard College in 1728. After returning to Braintree, he married Hanna Sturgis (1712-1755) in 1733, and they had four children. They moved in 1735 to Boston, where he engaged in commerce and shipbuilding. He again returned to Braintree in 1748 and served as a local magistrate and colonel in the militia. He married Elizabeth Waldron (1722-1760) in 1756, and they had one daughter. In 1762, he married Anne Marsh (1723-1805), and they had two daughters. He was a friend of both George Washington and Benjamin Franklin and supported American independence. He made considerable investments throughout his life in such ventures as real estate and glass, candle, and chocolate making.

Caleb Hyde (1739-1820) was born in Connecticut. He moved to Lenox, Massachusetts, which he represented in the Third Provincial Congress in 1775. He also served as a selectman and as sheriff. During the Revolutionary War, he served as a major in the Massachusetts militia in Berkshire County. After the war, Hyde purchased 1,500 acres of land in the Genesee Valley of western New York. In 1803, he was elected to the New York Senate from the Western District as a Republican. He seems to have become a Federalist and lost his bid for reelection in 1807. He died in Lisle, New York.

Israel Dewey (1735-1796) was born in Hampshire County, Massachusetts Bay. He moved with his family to Lenox, Massachusetts, in the 1750s. He was a farmer and school teacher at Great Barrington, Massachusetts, and in Vermont. He served in Captain Isaac Cotten's company in 1754 in the French and Indian War. He was an ensign in a company from Richmond, Massachusetts, in 1764. In 1767, he hosted the preliminary meetings that led to the incorporation of Lenox. In 1761, he married Mary Pixley (1738-1772), and they had at least six children. After her death, he married Sarah in 1773, and they had at least five children. In the early 1790s, he left Lenox for Vermont, where he died in Rutland County.

Richard Cranch (1726-1811) was born in Devon, England, and emigrated to Boston, Massachusetts, in 1846. In 1752, he left Boston because of a smallpox outbreak and settled in the North Parish of Braintree, eight miles southeast of Boston. He and his brother-in-law purchased land there and constructed buildings for chocolate milling, whale oil processing and candlemaking, glassmaking, and stock weaving. In 1755, he met future President John Adams, with whom he became a lifelong friend. In October 1762, Cranch married Mary Smith (1741-1811), and two years later, Adams married her younger sister Abigail Smith (1744-1818). A few years later, the Cranches moved to Salem and then to Boston, where he operated a watch and clock sales and repair business. During the Revolutionary War, he moved his business to Braintree after British soldiers stole all of his goods in Boston. In 1780, Harvard College awarded Cranch an honorary master's degree and listed him as a member of the Harvard graduating class of 1744. He represented Braintree in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1780 to 1782 and in the Massachusetts Senate in 1785. He served as a judge of the Court of Common Pleas from 1779 to 1808.

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.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE.

  • Dimensions: 6.5" x 8.25"
  • Medium: AL

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house world-wide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses that proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with a signature required option, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third-Party Shipping Option: If a third-party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third-party. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third-party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third-party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third-party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

by University Archives
July 28, 2026 10:00 AM EDT
88 Danbury Road
Suite 2A
Wilton, CT, US 06897

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000