Contributed by Maine Historical Society
Description
Thomas Nelson, Jr. (1738-1789) was a Virginia delegate to the Continental Congress. Originally from Yorktown, Virginia, Nelson served in the Virginia House of Burgesses and was a key player in the writing of the colony's constitution. He then served as General of the Lower Virginia Militia, where he lead troops into the siege of Yorktown in 1781. During this time, he was elected governor of Virgina.
The letter, written September 16, 1781 from Williamsburg, Virginia about one month before the Battle of Yorktown, expresses nervousness over the security of American shipping vessels. Nelson mentions that transporting flour will be incredibly inefficient unless they can acquire help from the French. He even calls for "an empty Transport or two," perhaps to throw off the British Navy.
Transcription
About This Item
- Title: Thomas Nelson, Jr. on security of naval ships, Virginia, 1781
- Creator: Thomas Nelson, Jr.
- Creation Date: 1781-09-16
- Subject Date: 1781-09-16
- Location: Williamsburg, VA
- Media: Ink on paper
- Dimensions: 32.1 cm x 20 cm
- Local Code: Coll. 420, Box 59/11
- Collection: John S. H. Fogg autograph collection
- Object Type: Text
Cross Reference Searches
Standardized Subject Headings
- Declaration Of Independence. United States--Signers
- Founding Fathers of the United States
- United States--History--Revolution, 1775-1783
- United States. Continental Congress
- United States. Navy--History--Revolution, 1775-1783
People
Other Keywords
For more information about this item, contact:
Maine Historical Society485 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101
(207) 774-1822 x230
Website
Use of this Item is not restricted by copyright and/or related rights, but the holding organization is contractually obligated to limit use. For more information, please contact the contributing organization. However, watermarked Maine Memory Network images may be used for educational purposes.
Please post your comment below to share with others. If you'd like to privately share a comment or correction with MMN staff, please send us a message with this link.
