Printed and manuscript receipt on paper, accomplished in ink. Approximately 3 x 3 inches. A rare and evocative survival of the everyday business affairs of Major General Horatio Gates (1727–1806), one of the most prominent military leaders of the American Revolution. This small printed receipt records the delivery of hay in New York on 1 April 1793, during Gates's retirement from active military service. The document is a pre-printed form headed: “New-York, Bowery, 1 April 1793” with manuscript entries indicating: “HAY from Mr. Gates” “For Mr. Hilrd [or Hilliard]” and calculations showing a charge totaling £3.1.0. The lower left bears the printed or written name: “Abrm & J. Cozans” likely identifying the Bowery hay merchants or weighmasters responsible for the transaction. Though modest in appearance, the receipt provides a fascinating glimpse into the economic and agricultural activities of leading Revolutionary figures after the war. Gates had established himself as a gentleman farmer and landowner, and like many members of the post-Revolutionary elite, managed agricultural production, livestock, and the sale of farm commodities. Hay was among the most important commercial agricultural products in the growing city of New York, where thousands of horses required constant supplies of fodder for transportation, trade, and military purposes. Dated only four years after the adoption of the Constitution and the inauguration of George Washington as President, the receipt belongs to a formative period in the development of the new republic. Rather than commemorating battlefield glory, it reveals the practical realities of postwar life and commerce among the nation's founders and military leaders. Horatio Gates (1727–1806) was one of the most significant and controversial generals of the American Revolution. Born in England, Gates entered the British Army as a young man and served during the French and Indian War alongside George Washington. After purchasing land in Virginia, he settled in America and joined the Patriot cause at the outbreak of the Revolution. Washington appointed Gates Adjutant General of the Continental Army in 1775, where he helped organize the fledgling American military establishment. His greatest military achievement came in 1777, when he commanded American forces that defeated British General John Burgoyne at the Battle of Saratoga. The victory is widely regarded as the turning point of the Revolutionary War, convincing France to enter the conflict as an ally of the United States. Following Saratoga, Gates became a focal point for critics of Washington during the episode known as the Conway Cabal, though his precise role remains debated. His military reputation suffered after his crushing defeat at the Battle of Camden in South Carolina in 1780, where British forces under Lord Cornwallis routed the American army. Despite this setback, Gates remained an important public figure. After the war he settled in New York, engaged in farming and business pursuits, and became active in movements supporting the gradual abolition of slavery. He later freed the enslaved people he owned and provided for many of them in his will. When he died in 1806, Gates was remembered as one of the principal military architects of American independence, particularly for his role in securing victory at Saratoga. ______________________________________________________________________________________________
New-York, Bowery, 1 April 1793 C.Q. lb. 29 : 0 : 0 HAY from Mr. Gates For Mr. Hilrd at £3 : 0 : 0 Weighing ---------------- £3 : 1 : 0 Abrm & J. Cozans
