President’s Day, falling on Feb. 17 this year, was first observed as George Washington’s birthday. The Raab Collection had the perfect way to celebrate: offering a rare letter from the Revolutionary War, signed by then-General Washington himself, for sale. The letter was expected to sell for $150,000, and, according to an e-mail from The Raab Collection, it did.
The Raab Collections
It’s an appropriate way to observe the occasion; according to the Mount Vernon estate, Washington, never a fan of celebrations for himself, often spent his birthday answering letters.
The letter that sold, dated May 17, 1777, is known as the “Recur to Arms” letter, thanks to a notable line where Washington declares that the British forces “are convinced wherever they make an impression, the Country will recur to arms.” In other words, Americans would always fight back. It was a response to Brigadier General Samuel Holden Parsons, who wrote to Washington on May 2 after a British attack on the American supply depot in Danbury, Connecticut, in April. Parsons called the attack “very Alarming to the Country.” Still, Washington had a more optimistic view, recognizing the amount of resistance the British troops had faced and ensuring that there would be more to come.
The Raab Collection
Nathan Raab, president of The Raab Collection, called the letter “a powerful expression of the spirit of the American uprising from the mind of its Commander in Chief and future first President.” Washington’s leadership is on display as he requests assignments for troops, including those “Such as are invalids or too weak to proceed yet from Inoculation or other Causes.” What shines through is Washington’s optimism; his faith in the American people, and certainty that they would triumph over monarchy.
The $150,000 sale comes at an exciting time for historical documents, particularly those related to early American history and the Republic’s founding. Major auction houses like Sotheby’s have noticed increasing interest in them among collectors, especially new buyers. And with that growing interest comes rising prices. While the “Recur to Arms” letter didn’t quite reach the heights of, for example, copies of the Declaration of Independence selling for over $2 million, its sale is impressive and suits its place in history.
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