1793 WINCHESTER, VA Letter Rev War Hero Judge ROBERT WHITE Sent to David Briggs

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Offered here is a rare 1p. ALS (stampless cover, with no postal cancels), 6 1/4" x 7 3/4" (folded sheet), dated Winchester [Virginia] April 25, 1793, sent to David Briggs in Falmouth, signed Rob. White. ROBERT WHITE (March 29, 1759 – March 9, 1831) was a distinguished early American military officer, lawyer, judge, and politician in the state of Virginia. White represented Frederick County in the Virginia House of Delegates (1789–1792) and served as a judge of the General Court of Virginia (1793–1831). Prior to his political and law careers, White served in the Virginia militia and Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. In 1775, White enlisted as a private in the Virginia militia company under the command of Captain Hugh Stephenson (or Stevenson), which had been organized in Berkeley County, Virginia (present-day Jefferson County, West Virginia). Stephenson's company departed for the Boston campaign "a few days" before Daniel Morgan's company departed from Winchester. White, along with Stephenson's company, departed on June 20, 1775 from Morgan's Spring near Shepherdstown and marched to Boston to reinforce commander-in-chief of the Continental Army George Washington's forces who had besieged the British Army forces there. While in Boston, White's "chivalric bearing" received the attention of Washington, who "saw in the boy the germ of that remarkable decision of character." On March 17, 1776, British forces withdrew from Boston thus ending the Boston campaign. In the summer of 1776, White was elevated to the rank of ensign. White then fought as a lieutenant at the Battle of Germantown on October 4, 1777 under Major William Darke of Berkeley County. Throughout the spring of 1778, White was engaged in attacking British Army detachments. Later in 1778 at Short Hills, New Jersey, White suffered a fractured femur caused by a musket ball and received a wound to the head from the stock of a British Army grenadier's musket. Following the engagement at Short Hills, White was taken as a prisoner of war by the British forces. White had fallen unconscious and was taken to a the tent of "an amiable and accomplished" British officer who had rescued him from death. He was later exchanged and in the autumn of 1778, White returned to Winchester "by slow and painful efforts, exceedingly lame, weak and emaciated by acute and protracted suffering." His wounds had not yet healed by the time of his return to Winchester, however, following the removal of bone fragments, the wound began to close. White remained permanently physically disabled as a result of his injuries. While "not fully recovered from his wounds," White received the commission of a captain of cavalry in 1779. White commenced the recruitment and training of American troops in Philadelphia to fight in the war, but due to the severity of his injuries, he retired from military service at the age of 20 and returned to Winchester. White was inducted as an original member of the Society of the Cincinnati for his military service during the war. [WIKI] The letter here reads: "... I am very sorry to inform you that I have not yet Recovered your money from [ ? ]maday. I hope however that it will not be long before it will come to hand and as soon as it does I will let you know..." Folds (very small edge breaks/ tear), seal tear/ hole has no effect to letter portion, light toning, otherwise quite good. read more

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