Holograph Document Signed ("Thomas Knolton")
Author: KNOWLTON, Thomas
Title: Holograph Document Signed ("Thomas Knolton")
Publication: Ashford, Windham County, Connecticut: 1769
Description: Unbound. Bifolium. Approximately 8" x 12". Laid paper with applied paper seal. Old folds, light stain at horizontal fold, very good. Signed on the final page by a number of people including Thomas Knolton (later known as Thomas Knowlton).
The 1769 document records a Sheriff's Jury or committee from Windham County in Connecticut impaneled to determine the route of a new highway and to determine if any landholders be compensated for damages as a result. The document enumerates the members of the jury - first men of Windham, and then several men, including Knowlton, "...all of Ashford, as a jury to lay out the within mentioned highway." Much of the document is taken up with the physical details of the highway, but concludes that the jury has determined "...that the Advantage, to each Man's Land (through which this High Way is laid out) is equal to the Disadvantage, therefore assess no Damages." Following the text, Signed by all in the Jury, ending with Knowlton. Although not directly related to the coming War, among the other signers of this document are Sampson Keyes, whose son John served in the Knowlton Rangers as a Lieutenant; Nathaniel Webb, who served as an Lieutenant under Knowlton in Durkee's Regiment (before the Rangers were detached from it); Hezikiah Huntington, who made and repaired firearms for the American troops, and others easily traceable to the Revolutionary cause.
Knowlton was a veteran of the French and Indian War who participated in several battles including the Battle of Ft. Ticonderoga and the British invasion of Havana, and who resided in Ashford in Windham County, where he was named a Selectman of the town in 1773. When news of Lexington reached Knowlton he joined his local militia, the Ashford Company, as part of the Fifth Regiment Connecticut Militia. Knowlton was unanimously chosen as Captain. For his bravery at the Battle of Bunker Hill he was promoted by Congress to Major.
During the Siege of Boston in 1776, Knowlton was sent by Washington to burn the remaining buildings at the base of Bunker Hill, and to capture the British guard. Knowlton accomplished this mission without firing a shot or losing a man. In August, Knowlton was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and put in command of an elite hand picked independent corps which was under the direct command of Washington. This unit was the first unit to be designated as "Rangers", or "Knowlton's Rangers." Among the members of the unit was Captain Nathan Hale. This was considered the first organized American intelligence unit and was utilized by Washington to scout the enemy's position in dangerous circumstances. Knowlton is generally considered the first American intelligence officer. The date "1776" on the modern U.S. Army's intelligence service seal refers to the formation of Knowlton's Rangers.
On September 16, 1776 Knowlton's Rangers were scouting in advance of the main army at Harlem Heights, New York when a skirmish began which ended with Knowlton being mortally wounded, by all accounts bravely leading the Rangers. He was lamented by Washington in his general orders for September 17, 1776 with the statement: "The gallant and brave Col Knowlton, ... would have been an Honor to any Country, having fallen yesterday, while gloriously fighting ... ."
In 1995 the Military Intelligence Corps Association established the Thomas W. Knowlton Award recognizing individuals who have contributed significantly to the promotion of Army Military Intelligence in ways that stand out in the eyes of the recipients, their superiors, subordinates and peers.
Knowlton's signature is rare. We could find none at auction, and none in the trade.
Seller ID: 413461
Subject: Americana, Ephemera
