William Henry Revolutionary War Commissary Receipt for Military Provisions Dated 17 October 1794

William Henry Revolutionary War Commissary Receipt for Military Provisions Dated 17 October 1794 Manuscript supply receipt signed by William Henry, Issuing Commissary, directing the distribution of flour, soap, and candles for military use during the Whiskey Rebellion. A scarce military commissary document signed by William Henry (1757–1821), Revolutionary War officer, merchant, ironmaster, and father of future President William Henry Harrison. Written during the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794, the manuscript records the receipt and issuance of essential army supplies for troops mobilized to suppress western Pennsylvania's tax insurrection, one of the first major tests of federal authority under the new Constitution. The document, dated 17 October 1794, reads in part: "Rec'd October 17th 94 from Henry Pinkerton one of his Brigade Waggons fifteen barrels of flour, one box of soap & one box of candles, to be issued to the troops for the 18th instant." Although brief, the receipt offers a remarkably direct glimpse into the logistical machinery that sustained the federal army during President George Washington's personally led campaign against the Whiskey insurgents. Flour represented the principal ration issued to soldiers, while soap and candles were indispensable necessities for sanitation and camp life. Such seemingly mundane records rarely survive, yet they formed the backbone of eighteenth-century military administration. Historical Context The document was created during the Whiskey Rebellion, the largest domestic crisis faced by the United States during George Washington's presidency. In 1791 Congress enacted an excise tax on distilled spirits to help retire the debts incurred during the Revolutionary War. Farmers and distillers in western Pennsylvania fiercely opposed the measure, viewing it as discriminatory and an abuse of federal power. By 1794 resistance had escalated into organized violence. Tax collectors were intimidated, federal officials attacked, and armed bands openly challenged government authority. President Washington responded by calling nearly 13,000 militia troops from Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, and New Jersey—the largest army he ever commanded in the field. The campaign was fundamentally a triumph of logistics as much as military force. Thousands of soldiers required daily provisions of food, clothing, equipment, candles, soap, ammunition, and forage. Commissary officers such as William Henry coordinated the receipt, accounting, and distribution of these supplies, ensuring that the expedition remained supplied while advancing into western Pennsylvania. Although the rebellion ultimately collapsed without a major battle, Washington's successful mobilization demonstrated that the federal government possessed both the legal authority and practical ability to enforce its laws. William Henry was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, into a family deeply involved in the colony's growing iron industry. During the American Revolution he served as an officer responsible for ordnance and military stores, acquiring valuable experience in supply administration and manufacturing. Following the war, Henry became one of Pennsylvania's leading industrialists. He operated the celebrated William Henry Gun Works in Lancaster, producing firearms, swords, and military equipment that enjoyed an excellent reputation for quality. He also became involved in iron production, scientific experimentation, and civic affairs, earning recognition as one of the state's most accomplished mechanics and manufacturers. Henry maintained close relationships with many prominent figures of the early republic, including military officers and government officials responsible for national defense. His wartime experience naturally led to continued service in military logistics during the Whiskey Rebellion, when experienced commissary officers were urgently needed to supply the federal expedition. William Henry is perhaps best remembered today as the father of William Henry Harrison, ninth President of the United States, whose distinguished military and political career was shaped in part by the patriotic and military traditions of his family. Henry's grandson, John Scott Harrison, and great-grandson, Benjamin Harrison, would also become prominent national figures, the latter serving as the twenty-third President of the United States. Unlike battlefield reports or officers' correspondence, commissary documents reveal the practical realities of sustaining armies in the eighteenth century. Victory depended not only upon generals but upon an intricate network of wagoners, contractors, quartermasters, and commissaries who ensured that troops received daily necessities. This receipt records supplies delivered by Henry Pinkerton, one of the brigade wagoners responsible for transporting provisions to the army. The listed items illustrate the standard requirements of an eighteenth-century military encampment: Fifteen barrels of flour, the staple ingredient for soldiers' daily bread and rations. One box of soap, essential for hygiene and disease prevention. One box of candles, indispensable for camp administration, guard duty, hospitals, and nighttime operations. Documents of this nature are comparatively uncommon because they were working records generally discarded after accounts were settled.