Unbound
1777 · [Princeton
by HYER, Jacob and William Scudder
[Princeton, 1777. Unbound. Very Good. Laid paper. Approximately 7.5" x 7". Old folds with small tears at the edges, ink has burned through in one small spot, general age-toning, very good. Docketed on the verso. In full: "To His Excelensy the Governor & the Council of Saftey sitting at Princeton. Whearas the third Batalyn of Middlesex militia Having Neither a first Nor second Mayjor We should be glad if your Exelensey & the Council of Saftey would appoynt there the persons we would recommend is Captin Robbert Nixon [Robert Nixon] for First Mayjor & Adjutant Thommas Egburts [Thomas Egbert] Second Mayjor. Jacob Hyer Coll. Wm. Scudder Lietenant Coll" Col. Jacob Hyer was the proprietor of Sign of the Hudibras, a Princeton inn that was a center of Revolutionary foment where students and patriots would meet. He was close to the upper echelons of the Continental command and hosted John Adams and the New England delegation to the First Continental Congress. He was entrusted by Washington to bail out John Honeyman, a double agent who was perhaps Washington's most reliable spy when he was arrested for high treason as a Tory. The taverns of New Jersey were central as meeting places for the Revolutionary effort. Hyer and Scudder were appointed to their positions in 1776. Hyer commanded the Third Middlesex Militia at both the Battle of Princeton on January 3rd 1777, and at the Battle of Monmouth in June of 1778. William Scudder was a prosperous Princeton miller who served in the Army throughout the War. Robert Nixon was a tanner from New Brunswick who distinguished himself as the Captain of Nixon's Troop of Light-Horse of Middlesex, when he was indeed promoted to Major in the 3rd Middlesex. It appears that Thomas Egbert was promoted as well, although less seems to be known of him. Interesting Revolutionary War document centered around Princeton, which in itself was at the epicenter of the action at that time during the Revolutionary War.
(Inventory #: 413501)