Benjamin Lincoln Papers, 1635-1964 » 1781–July 1783  

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These reels consist of letters and other documents detailing Lincoln's work in organizing Massachusetts volunteer units, his command under Washington through the surrender of Cornwallis, and most of his tenure as the first Secretary of War under the Confederation government. Lincoln's correspondence during the winter months of 1781 describes the many difficulties he faced as supervisor of new enlistments, including the lack of fitness for military duty of many of the volunteers and the thorny problem of assigning these units to out-of-state duty. Correspondents include his two superintendents, Colonels Shepard and Crane; the Massachusetts Assembly; and Governor Hancock. Other correspondence documents Lincoln's movements with his troops south to Yorktown and includes requests for transport and supplies and reports to Washington. The official correspondence during most of Lincoln's term as Secretary of War deals with petitions of individual officers like Henry Knox, then in command at West Point; efforts to keep the armed forces from disintegrating; and the question of officers' pay. Several letters in this section are addressed to Robert Morris, the Superintendent of Finance, and to George Washington. Also represented in this correspondence is Lincoln's assistant, William Jackson. These reels contain many documents devoted to family matters, including correspondence between Lincoln and his eldest son, Benjamin Lincoln, Jr., and two of the very few letters in the collection written by Lincoln to his wife Mary. Many of these letters attest to the family's strained financial condition and Lincoln's dependence on his son to take care of business transactions at home. Other documents forecast Henry Knox's later financial difficulties. Included among these personal papers are lengthy writings by Lincoln on subjects such as "Friendship," "Innocence," "Reason and Passion," "Happiness and Pain," "The Relationship of the States and the Central Authority," "The Importance of Commerce to a Nation," and "The Virtue of Labor," as well as several pieces that reflect Lincoln's interest in descriptive geography.