Lot #135

[Button Gwinnett] Estate Accounting Document (1786): "To a Small Gun Sent you going to Congress as a Delegate"

Description

Accounting document for the estate of Button Gwinnett, noting a fee for a "Small Gun Sent you going to Congress as a Delegate"

Estate of Button Gwinnett accounting document, one page both sides, 8 x 12.5, October 1786. Accounting document headed "Es[ta]te of Button Gwinnett, Esqr…To Est[at]e of Patrick Mackay," showing debits and credits from June 1766 through October 1776, with accrual of interest to October 1786, amounting to a total of £69.4. The most intriguing entry is a £3 entry from October 1776, the line item reading: "To a Small Gun sent you going to Congress as a Delegate." Other expenditures include: "64 yds Clo. Col'd negro cloth…13 Gall's Rum…1 doz. Mad'a wine…1 doz. Tennessee wine…2 Gro. velvet Corks…5 1/2 bush'ls Indigo seed…3 Barr'ls Corn in Ears…15 days work of John Houston Carpenter at your Plantation." Inlaid to a larger sheet and in very good to fine condition, with scattered light staining, and repairs to split folds.

Button Gwinnett (1735–1777) was a British-born American political leader and one of the signers of the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of Georgia. Born in Gloucestershire, England, he immigrated to the American colonies in the 1760s and settled in Savannah, Georgia, where he became a merchant and later entered politics. Gwinnett quickly rose in prominence and became a strong advocate for colonial independence. He represented Georgia in the Continental Congress in 1776 and 1777, followed by a brief stint as the state's governor. His tenure was marked by political conflict, most notably with his rival Lachlan McIntosh, which culminated in a fatal duel. Gwinnett was mortally wounded in the encounter and died three days later. Despite his short political career, Gwinnett’s legacy endures through his role as a signer of the Declaration, and his autograph is now one of the rarest and most sought-after among the signers.

Auction Info

• Auction Title: Fine Autographs and Artifacts Ft. Rev/Civil War, and The Collection of Dr. Joseph Matheu Part 1
• Dates: #721 - Ended 07/09/2025