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.