Manuscript military pay order signed “Jno. Sullivan Majr. Genl.” at Providence, Rhode Island, April 23, 1778, directing Colonel Stelle, Paymaster General of the Army in Rhode Island, to pay five hundred dollars to Major Lewis Morris. Endorsed by Morris upon receipt of payment. This remarkable Revolutionary War manuscript was issued at Providence, Rhode Island, on April 23, 1778, and bears the signature of Major General John Sullivan, one of the Continental Army's most important field commanders. The document orders Colonel Stelle, serving as Paymaster General of the Army in Rhode Island, to pay Major Lewis Morris the substantial sum of five hundred dollars, a payment authorized under Sullivan's command authority while directing American military operations in New England. The order reads in part: “Sir pay to my Aid de Camp Major Lewis Morris on my account five hundred Dollars for which this shall be your sufficient warrant...” The document was executed during a critical phase of the Revolutionary War. Since late 1776 the British had occupied Newport, Rhode Island, one of the most strategically important ports in North America. By the spring of 1778 American leaders were actively preparing operations intended to challenge British control of the region. Sullivan had recently assumed command of Continental forces in Rhode Island and was engaged in organizing troops, coordinating logistics, and preparing for what would eventually become the Rhode Island Campaign of 1778. The recipient, Major Lewis Morris, served as Sullivan's aide-de-camp and belonged to one of New York's most distinguished Revolutionary families. The Morris family furnished numerous military and political leaders to the Patriot cause, and Lewis Morris played an important role in Sullivan's headquarters staff during the war. The document's endorsement confirms payment: “Providence 23 April 1778. Received of Col. Stelle by the hands of Mr. Wheaton five hundred dollars agreeable to the within warrant. Lewis Morris A.D.C.” Such endorsements provide valuable evidence of the actual administration of military finances and the movement of funds within the Continental Army. The signer, John Sullivan (1740–1795), ranks among the most important American generals of the Revolution. Born in Somersworth, New Hampshire, Sullivan trained as a lawyer before entering politics and becoming an active supporter of colonial resistance to British authority. He was elected to the First Continental Congress and quickly emerged as a committed advocate of independence. Following the outbreak of war, Sullivan received a commission as a brigadier general in the Continental Army and soon became one of George Washington's most trusted subordinates. He participated in numerous major campaigns, including the defense of New York in 1776, where he was captured during the Battle of Long Island before being exchanged. Sullivan subsequently played prominent roles in the campaigns at Trenton and Princeton and distinguished himself as an aggressive and capable field commander. In 1778, the year this document was signed, Sullivan commanded American forces in Rhode Island and led the ambitious attempt to recapture Newport in cooperation with the French fleet under Admiral d'Estaing. Although the campaign ultimately failed due to weather, naval complications, and strategic disagreements, it represented one of the earliest large-scale efforts at Franco-American military cooperation following France's alliance with the United States. Sullivan is perhaps best remembered for commanding the Sullivan Expedition of 1779, a major campaign against the Iroquois Confederacy conducted in response to frontier attacks against American settlements. The expedition became one of the largest military operations undertaken by the Continental Army outside the principal theaters of war and remains an important subject in the history of the Revolution and Native American relations. After the war, Sullivan continued his public service as a federal judge, state attorney general, and eventually President (Governor) of New Hampshire. His career reflected the transition of Revolutionary military leaders into statesmen of the early republic. Military pay orders signed by Sullivan are highly desirable, particularly those issued during active Revolutionary service and connected to major campaigns. This example is especially attractive because it documents the financial administration of Sullivan's Rhode Island command, identifies his aide-de-camp Lewis Morris by name, and survives with both the original order and acknowledgment of payment. As a result, it offers a vivid glimpse into the daily operation of the Continental Army while preserving the autograph of one of Washington's most important generals. ______________________________________________________________________________________________
To Colo. Stelle Paymaster General of the Army in the State of Rhode Island Sir pay to my Aid de Camp Major Lewis Morris on my account five hundred Dollars for which this shall be your sufficient warrant given at Head Quarters in Providence this 23rd Day of April 1778 500 Dollars Jno Sullivan Majr. Genl. Commander in Chief of the American Forces Rhode Island Providence 23 April 1778 Recd. of Colo. Stelle by the hands of Mr. Wheaton five hundred Dollars agreeable to the within Warrant. Lewis Morris A.D.C.
