New York, Oct. 5, 1888.
Dear Mrs. Leiter,—According to promise, I have sent you by express to-day a list of the general officers in the Revolution who were commissioned by the Continental Congress. There were others, not in the list, and well known as generals who served through the Revolution, but they held their commissions in the State Militia.
The list is made in the order of the date of commission, and their rank was determined by this date. The collection of portraits I have sent you for Mount Vernon is of great historical value, from the fact that it is made up to a great extent of portraits issued as “private,” or “club portraits,” of which the plates were destroyed. It would be almost impossible to get another set together which would be as complete as this is, in containing the authentic likeness of every general of whom a portrait is known to exist. For years I have been engaged with others in tracing out the descendants of these men, and with the object of having their portraits engraved whenever a likeness could be found. For a long time nothing new has turned up, and I believe we have accomplished about all it is possible to do in this line.
Yours very truly,
Thomas Addis Emmet.
The rare and valuable gift of engravings from Dr. Thomas Addis Emmet has been placed in the old mansion at Mount Vernon; and as this is the only complete collection on exhibition of the generals of the Continental Army, it seemed fitting that there should be a concise history compiled to enable the visitor at Mount Vernon not alone to view this valuable collection, but to refer to dates of birth and death, commissions of service, and battles of importance, in which these generals distinguished themselves. In this small book the author has sought to enable the reader to obtain information of most importance, and also maintain her original design of a pocket edition, to encumber as little as possible the pilgrim to Mount Vernon.
The following books have been consulted for the compilation of the papers:—
Journals of the Continental Congress.
Records of the Revolution, War Department.
Narrative and Critical History of America. (Justin Winsor.)
The Biography of the American Military and Naval Heroes, 1817. (Thomas Wilson.)
Washington and his Generals. (J. T. Headley.)
Lossing’s American Revolution.
Washington and his Masonic Compeers. (Sidney Hayden.)
Appleton’s Cyclopædia of American Biography.
The Memorial History of Boston. (Justin Winsor.)
Sparks’ Life of Washington.
Correspondents who have rendered assistance:
Hon. W. Frye, Maine.
General Drum, War Department.
Dr. T. A. Emmet.
H. C. Spofford, Congressional Librarian.
Justin Winsor.
Prof. Edward Channing.
F. D. Stone, Librarian of Historical Society of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Toner, Washington.
Charles J. Hoadly, Connecticut.
Mary Theresa Leiter,
Vice-Regent of Ladies’ Mount Vernon Association.
August 7, 1889.