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Significant unsigned Revolutionary War–era handwritten manuscript by George Washington, one page, 7.75 x 3.25, no date but circa 1777. Washington writes, in part: "The Congress of the United States having resolved to raise a large standing army for the defence of the Rights and liberties of America, and as a stimulus to those who are Ingaged in the service to do their duty faithfully as becomes men attentive to the great prize for which they are contending have augmented the pay of the officers—given other Incouragements to the common soldiery—and established the whole army upon a more permanent and respectable footing than heretofore." Annotated on the reverse in ink by American historian and educator Jared Sparks, "Gen'l Washington's handwriting, 1777, Jared Sparks." In fine condition, with some minor edge staining and minor paper loss to the lower left, slightly affecting a few words.
In June 1775, Congress established the Continental Army and appointed George Washington to command it, placing him at the head of a force that was still more improvised than permanent. Over the next two years, Washington struggled with the same problems again and again: short enlistments, uneven discipline, shortages of pay and supplies, and the difficulty of keeping men in the field long enough to sustain a war against Britain. This circa 1777 manuscript reflects that turning point. Washington’s reference to Congress resolving “to raise a large standing army” and to put the service on a “more permanent and respectable footing” speaks to the urgent effort to move beyond temporary militia-style service and create a reliable national army capable of defending “the Rights and liberties of America.”
The manuscript is especially compelling because it captures Washington’s practical view of what independence required. Although many Americans feared standing armies as instruments of tyranny, the experience of war made clear that liberty could not be secured by patriotic feeling alone. Soldiers needed pay, encouragement, structure, and confidence that their service was part of a larger national cause. Washington’s words connect those material concerns with the “great prize” for which the army was fighting, showing how he understood military organization as essential to the success of the Revolution itself. The later notation by Jared Sparks—who infamously cut up Washington's first inaugural address for distribution to autograph seekers—places the piece within the formative period when the Continental Army was being transformed from a fragile wartime force into the backbone of American independence.
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