Uncommon medical-related partly-printed DS, one page, 14.75 x 11.5, July 21, 1794. Governor Adams “reposing Special Trust and Confidence in your ability and skill in Physic and Surgery,” appoints Grosvenor Tarbel a “Surgeon’s Mate of the Fourth Regiment, First Brigade and Seventh Division of the Militia of the Commonwealth.” Signed on the left side in black ink by Adams, and countersigned by Secretary of the Commonwealth John Avery Jr. Double suede matted and framed to an overall size of 22 x 18.5. In very good condition, with partial separations, toning, and paper loss along intersecting folds, and scattered light toning heavier near top. The white paper seal is worn but intact.
This certainly is an uncommon medical appointment, and significant as the summer of 1794 marked a tense time in the country, as federal taxation measures on whiskey angered much of the populace, leading some sectors to attack tax collectors. In August, George Washington sent militias to several states, including Pennsylvania and Virginia, to enforce martial law during what history now calls the Whiskey Rebellion. The militia force comprised nearly 13,000 men, with Tarbel likely among those placed under Washington’s command. In the end, the troops captured only 20 prisoners, which historians say bolstered federal authority. For his part, the insurrection greatly disturbed Adams. His contention was that the Constitution had devised a system of government that allowed grievances to be heard—without a rebellion. An uncommon document from the early days of a young Republic as it faced a rebellion of its own. Pre-certified John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA and RRAuction COA.
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