A very clear and legible pay order for “ten arms,” dated April 19, 1776, exactly one year after Lexington and Concord, signed at lower right by Thomas Seymour and Oliver Ellsworth of the Committee of the Pay Table for Connecticut and by John Seymour at lower left as Treasurer. They order payment of “twenty pounds five shillings money” to the Selectmen of New Town for “ten arms” supplied to “Capt. Perritt’s Company.”

Peter Perritt of Milford, CT, (ca.1735-1803) had commanded a company of rangers in the vicinity of Boston after the Lexington Alarm, served as a Captain of the 9^th Company in Webb’s 7^th Connecticut from July 6 to Dec. 10, 1775, with the regiment redesignated as the 19^th Continental Regiment as of Jan. 1, 1776. The served in brigades commanded by Sullivan, Spencer, Stirling, McDougall, and Glover. Perritt was detached to command the armed sloop “Hester” and in August detailed to Knox’s artillery regiment in the garrison of Ft. Washington at New York, where he was captured when the fort surrendered Nov. 16, 1776. He was exchanged Sept. 18, 1778, and reported for duty, but no vacancy was available and was discharged as supernumerary, but was later commissioned Captain in a Connecticut State regiment on June 21, 1779, to serve one year. His claims for pay due, etc., were the subject of some correspondence after the war.

Oliver Ellsworth (1745-1807) graduated Princeton, was a lawyer, state attorney for Connecticut in 1777, delegate to the Continental Congress, a judge, a delegate to the Constitutional Convention, and later Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court 1796 to 1800. Thomas Seymour (1735-1829) was a Yale graduate, King’s Attorney, militia officer, state Assembly representative, Speaker, state senator, and later mayor of Hartford.

The document measures 8-1/4” X 4-1/2” and the frame is 12” X 10.” We have not examined it out of the frame, but it appears to be in excellent condition.  [sr] [ph:L]

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