Letters from the Front: The French Perspective on the Revolution

"...the british Armaments in America and their professed Design are only a Finesse of the Ministry to collect a large Force in the Neighbour hood of their Islands & then to fall upon them at unawares..."


In this next letter from Jedediah Huntington, written shortly after his previous one mentioning the potential of storming Boston, we see hints of foreign involvement in the conflict. First, there is the appearance of the unnamed Prussian officer, one of an increasing flood of French and German military men would were coming to America to seek their fortunes in the burgeoning conflict. Through this Prussian officer, Jedediah was able to access the larger world's perspective on the Revolution: the French, Britain's main rival, seem to have initially seen the rebellion as nothing more than a sham designed for massing troops in preparation for another war of imperial aggression, which would threaten to take the Caribbean sugar islands that the British had failed to grab in the Seven Years War. Note the final line requiring the surgeon to join Huntington's regiment: absent officers were as much a problem for the British as they were for the American Army, constituting another point of continuity between the adversaries. For the full text of the letter, please read below.

WPT III

Sol Feinstone Collection No. 592

Jedediah Huntington to Jabez Huntington, 19 Feb. 1776.  Camp at Roxbury, Massachusetts

Transcribed by Andrew Dauphinee August 2011

                                                                                                Roxbury Camp 19 Feb^y 1776

Hon^d Sir

             The Bearer of this is Mr. Hooper of North Carolina who is a Member of the Continental Congress an old and valuable Acquaintance of mine.______

           

            I wrote you this Morning by Tho^s. King.____

            There is in Camp a Prussian Officer who is lately from France by the Way of the West Indies the news of our Expedition against St. Johns was in France before he left it and was he says very pleasing to the People___ he acquaints us that (agreeable to other Accounts that we have had) the West India Islands are filled with French Troops That they have Apprehensions that the british Armaments in America and their professed Design are only a Finesse of the Ministry to collect a large Force in the Neighbour hood of their Islands & then to fall upon them at unawares ― he says they have 10000 Troops at Guadaloupe

            Bro^r. Joshua is gone this day to see Mr. Storer.  We shall keep him ‘till  next Week, I believe

            my Love and Duty to all I subscribe your

                                                                         affectionate son Jed Huntington

Hon^ble. Jab: Huntington [pg 1]

            The inclosed is a Letter to Doctor Jewett of Lyme who is appointed Surgeon of my Regiment it to let him know it is absolutely necessary that he join the Regiment immediately if he intends to accept the Place. 

[pg 2]"

Have something you want to share, such as a question, research find, or a personal story about the Library? Email Will Tatum at tatum@dlar.org